Walk the Line
by Lorelaispartz
Summary: Everything is tense enough while in the middle of war, but things grow more complicated for Raynea McCoy once Draco Malfoy shows up in her life again-especially since she's being forced to protect him. Post HBP. AU. DMOC, RWHG, HPGW.
1. Chapter 1

**Author's Note: Hello again! I just wanted to sincerely thank everyone for the encouragement to write a sequel. I hope that it has a similar feeling to that of Just A Distraction. It is a bit different though, since it doesn't take place at school. But I'm hoping that it's fairly well done. This first chapter is really, really short and there's a reason for it. I know it seems really slow at the very beginning, but it picks up a lot towards the end. I hope it doesn't move too fast...or too slow. I dunno, I just want the pacing to be good. Also, it is definitely AU once again. Like it has absolutely no similarities to Deathly Hallows whatsoever. I'm just doing my own thing without any real book related structure. I hope it makes sense and everything. Anything that seems confusing or isn't explained at first will be explained eventually. Oh and just putting it out there that I will be posting another chapter later today/tonight. Okay...I think that's everything. So, I hope you enjoy! Please, please leave a review! I love to have feedback. Thanks!!! :) **

Raynea shifted in her bed violently as her eyes shot open. She breathed unevenly as she sat up, feeling cold sweat roll down her tan, narrow face. After a second or two had passed, she tossed the covers off of her tense body, and treaded to the mirror on the wall opposite from her bed. Raynea stared into it deeply as her breathing remained erratic. The layers of sweat were visible on her forehead and dark circles had formed beneath her mahogany eyes. She sighed deeply, which allowed her body to calm down a bit, but not by much. A few more minutes went by before Raynea had finally gotten a hold of herself. She continued to gaze upon her weary reflection with a clenching feeling in her stomach. Her dreams had definitely been causing her a lot of grief as of late.

It wasn't the first unpleasant dream she had had over the past few weeks, and it probably wouldn't be the last. Raynea shook her head rapidly in order to expel the negative thoughts from her mind before turning her back to the mirror and taking a seat on her bed. She looked about the room pensively, recalling how different it had looked only a few weeks earlier.

Before Raynea occupied the room, it had belonged to Percy Weasley, who was known for being more than a little uptight. When she had first moved into Percy's old room, it was unnaturally tidy. The bed appeared as though it had never been slept in, and the dresser had nothing on top of it but a few books, which were organized into an alphabetized stack. Besides those two key pieces of furniture, the room contained only a couple of miscellaneous necessities and the mirror that Raynea had just been staring into. However, once she became the owner of the space, her trunk, books and broomstick were added to the previously spotless room. It wasn't messy now by any means, but it looked like someone actually lived there now.

Once Raynea had exhausted her desire to sit there uselessly, she rose from her bed yet again and crossed over to the dresser. She opened the top drawer and slid out her black, silk robe that fell just above the knee. She put it on and synched it tightly then decided to head downstairs for breakfast. Normally, Raynea would have dressed before making her way down to the kitchen, but she was in a particularly rotten mood, and didn't feel like making herself look presentable at the moment.

As Raynea descended the narrow staircase of the Burrow, she tried to figure out why her mood was so awful. There were probably several contributing factors, one of them being her inability to get decent sleep. Ever since term had ended, Raynea couldn't sleep soundly—sometimes, she couldn't even sleep at all. She had spent many nights either staring at the ceiling, or running up to Ron's room to see if he was still awake…which he usually wasn't. Raynea assumed that the trouble she had sleeping resulted from the extremely unsettling dreams she had been having lately. The message of all of them was dark and foreboding…and they all happened to contain people she wouldn't even allow herself to think about. However, the most dominant, probable cause of Raynea's depression was the fact that it was her seventeenth birthday.

Raynea was quite aware that it was odd that she looked upon hr birthday with such a feeling of dread, but she had her reasons for doing so. She loved celebrating other people's birthdays; however she found her own to be nothing but an annoyance, especially considering that they had far more important things to worry about. Though, Raynea was quite sure that Hermione and the Weasleys would make a tremendous effort to ensure that she would have a wonderful day, and she was touched by that. Because of their kindness, she would put on a happy face. It would be very difficult, mostly because she had more contempt for this particular birthday than any other. With some of the events of the past few months, Raynea wasn't keen on living this particular day—or any other, for that matter. She was resolute to seem excited, though.

Once she reached the kitchen, Raynea saw that she was the last one to get up. Ron, Hermione, Ginny and the twins were already seated around the table, while Mrs. Weasley was busy fixing breakfast. Mr. Weasley was probably out. He was usually absent a few times throughout the day to confer with other Order members and the like. Raynea approached the table with caution, hoping that everyone had somehow forgotten about her 'special day.' She slid into the chair beside Ron and smiled when no one initially addressed her. However, it wasn't long before her presence was noticed.

"Happy Birthday, Rayne!" Fred and George exclaimed in unison as they grinned broadly.

"Yeah, happy birthday," Ron added warmly. Hermione and Ginny offered her similar statements and Raynea forced her smile to grow.

"Thank you, everyone," she stated with genuine appreciation, "Really, thank you, but we don't have to make a big deal out of it. I'd be more than happy to just hang around like we normally do."

"Oh, come on, Raynea," Fred stated amusedly, "Do you really think we're not going to do anything for your birthday?"

"Honestly, it's a landmark birthday. You can legally do magic outside of school now," George reminded her with a mischievous grin.

Raynea pondered this for a moment before smiling at him brightly.

"You have a point there, my friend," she said, her excited tone reflecting a slight change in her mood.

"That's the spirit, dear," Mrs. Weasley responded kindly as she placed breakfast on the table, "We're all going to go to Diagon Alley to pick up a few things for your party once breakfast is over."

Raynea's face immediately fell at the mention of a party. A party was so…celebratory, and she wasn't interested in celebrating in such an extravagant way. She knew that the guest list wouldn't consist of anyone outside the room, but she still didn't want to make a big deal out of things. The day would be perfect as long as it was absent of presents and cake.

"You'll have to stay here, of course," George informed her, "You don't wanna go ruining the surprise."

"This is such a nice idea, everyone," Raynea began in a strained voice, "but it's really unnecessary. I'm fine with…not celebrating."

"Nonsense, we're going to celebrate," Mrs. Weasley told her thoughtfully, "You just relax today, while we get everything ready."

"Really, you don't have—"

"You're getting a party no matter what," Ron said with a chuckle, "Mum's been planning on it for days."

Raynea bit her lip uneasily, then feigned a smile.

"All right, then…if you're sure…"

"Believe me, we're sure," Hermione chimed in as she laughed.

"Speaking of which, you all better start eating. Remember, we still have to go to Diagon Alley," Mrs. Weasley reasoned.

The children all nodded as they picked up their forks and started picking at their plates. Raynea tried to look as though she was excited, though in her heart she truly wasn't. She felt horrible about being so resistant to a celebration, but was truly grateful for everyone's kindness. However, she wished that they had forgotten about her birthday all together. The only aspect of the day that Raynea cherished was the fact that she could perform magic whenever she wanted. Besides that, she just wanted it to be over.

***

Once breakfast was finished, everyone, excluding Raynea, headed off to Diagon Alley as planned. They would probably be gone for a few hours, meaning Raynea had some time to herself. She figured she should get dressed, but ended up lazing about the couch instead. She was simply exhausted, and didn't have the energy to do anything except lay there and read a book. After about half an hour of sitting around, Raynea forced herself to get up and clean the kitchen a bit. She definitely owed the Weasleys for letting her live with them, so she wanted to help out in order to show her appreciation. Raynea strolled to the sink and found herself distracted by the scenery outside.

It was an exceptionally beautiful summer day. The sun was out, covered by only a few clouds, and it appeared as though there was quite a breeze blowing. Raynea merely gazed out the window tiredly, letting the landscape put her in a sort of trance. She allowed herself to just stand there and lose alertness. Suddenly, she saw a figure in the corner of her eye, which immediately broke her out of her previously mesmerized state. Raynea craned her neck so that she could see further out the window, but found that there was nothing there. She furrowed her brow before redirecting her attention towards the kitchen sink.

However, she wasn't completely at ease. Raynea snapped her head up and peered out the window once again. There was still nothing in sight but grass, trees and sky. Raynea shook her head to make herself focus as she turned her back to the outside and let her eyes travel about the kitchen. She prepared to go clear off the table, when she heard a faint noise coming from the door. Raynea's eyes darted nervously as she slowly moved from her spot in the kitchen and went towards the source of the sound. As she inched closer to the door, Raynea heard something else. It sounded like a soft knocking. She sighed in relief, figuring that it was probably a member of the Order as she walked straight up to the door and opened it swiftly. Raynea's stomach jolted fiercely as she looked over the threshold. She hoped that she was hallucinating…in fact, she was almost certain that she was dreaming. She had to be, it was the only explanation.

There, standing just outside of the door, was Draco Malfoy.

Raynea couldn't even speak, for her mind had gone completely blank. Her entire body was numbed, so she just stood there and stared. Draco looked at her with a somewhat surprised, yet extremely fatigued expression. The staring match lasted for about a minute, before Draco took a step closer towards the door. Immediately following his action, Raynea whipped her wand out her robe pocket and pointed it at him with piercing eyes. He simply smirked, which honestly didn't shock her. He glanced down at her wand, seeming both amused and slightly afraid before returning his eyes to her face.

"So…I guess you're still bitter cause I dumped you, eh?" Draco questioned arrogantly.

Raynea's expression grew more livid as she lowered her wand, pushed him back over the threshold, and slammed the door in his face.

**(Another) Author's Note: Seriously, lemme know what you think. I'm very curious. Remember, there will be another update tonight. Okay, I'm done being OCD. Thanks! :) **


	2. Chapter 2

**Author's Note: Thank you to all who reviewed! Sorry that the first chapter was so short, this one is way more lengthy. I hope that the idea for this story is catching and exciting. I know its a lot different from Just A Distraction so far, but there are some more fluffy parts in the next few chapters, so just give it time. This update might seem a little odd only because Ron is sort of the voice of reason towards the end of the chapter, which is kinda weird, but he brings up something that will explain why he's acting more rational. Anyway, I really hope you enjoy this! Please, please leave a review! Thanks so much!!! :) **

Raynea flattened herself against the door, panting heavily as she did. She couldn't believe what had just happened. This had to be a dream…it simply couldn't be real. She hadn't seen Draco in months, and after the manner in which they parted, Raynea was certain she would never see him again. The mere sight of him made her burn with rage. She had no idea what he was doing there, but she refused to let him inside. He could die out there for all she cared. Draco Malfoy would not set foot in the Burrow. Suddenly, she heard him yelling from outside. Apparently, he had recovered from her violent actions rather quickly.

"Bloody hell…" Draco shouted through the door, "Will you let me explain myself?"

"Drop dead!" Raynea exclaimed frantically as she checked to make sure the door was locked. Then, she remembered that Draco had a wand.

"Dammit," she muttered as she braced herself against the door with more force. Things quieted down for a moment, and Raynea thought that he might have given up, but then she recalled that she was dealing with Draco Malfoy—probably one of the most thick headed people on the face of the planet. No, he would not give up so easily. All of a sudden, the lock clicked, indicating that it was no longer serving its purpose. Raynea pushed the door shut against the weight of Draco trying to pull it open.

"You're being stubborn as bloody usual…" he groaned irritably, "Will you hear me out?"

"Piss off!" Raynea yelled tensely. She had no idea how to handle this situation. She was a wizard, so she knew she should just fight him off, but she couldn't think straight. Something just wouldn't allow her to even let him step foot in the house. Abruptly, Draco's weight mastered hers, and she toppled forward as the door swung open. Raynea acted quickly and ripped her wand out of her pocket and aimed it at Draco.

"Stupefy!"

He was sent backwards outside of the house and landed on the ground, knocked unconscious. Raynea relaxed for a second before instantly shutting and locking the door. She remained right in front of it, prepared in case Draco woke up in the near future. Hopefully, he would be out for a little while. Raynea wished someone else was home. Handling this by herself was extraordinarily difficult—both emotionally and physically. She couldn't fight off Draco forever. He would best her eventually, even though she hated to admit it to herself.

Raynea was trying so hard to keep it together. The situation was shocking, terrifying and, in the simplest of terms, hard. She didn't feel the need to cry…or breathe. She just stayed poised in front of the door, utterly still. Many questions were raised in her mind, the main one being: why the hell was Draco Malfoy at the Burrow? How did he get there? Why would he choose there of all places to go? Did he know that she had been living there? Despite all the uncertainty, Raynea was sure of one thing; Draco Malfoy was an evil, soulless son of a bitch that was most likely there to kill them all. He was a Death Eater, therefore he couldn't be trusted. Raynea pondered how to more efficiently take control of the situation on her own before she heard the roar of fire coming from the living room. She felt some more relief as she heard the sound of muted chatter coming from the other room, and Ron strolled in shortly after that.

"You're still not dressed?" he questioned amusedly, "I know you don't like your birthday, but you can't laze around all day."

"Yeah…well…we have a…sort of…situation," Raynea stated uneasily as she swallowed a lump in her throat. A situation? That was putting it lightly.

"What's going on?" Ron asked, his tone still humorous and lax.

Raynea beckoned him towards the door before opening it and walking a few paces outside. Ron followed closely behind her and stopped as they approached Draco's unconscious figure. Raynea stared up at her best friend shakily as he gave her a grim look.

"If this was your idea of a great birthday present…you were sadly mistaken," she said ironically, glancing back down at Draco wearily.

"We have to tell the others," Ron reasoned, disregarding her quip. He immediately headed back into the house with Raynea right behind him. She didn't even bother to close the door upon her entry; she was too spooked to even remember to do so. Everyone else had flocked into the kitchen by the time they returned, and Ron was the first to speak.

"Mum, we have a problem," he stated with wide eyes.

"Yes, I know, dear," Mrs. Weasley replied distractedly, "We have less time to prepare for Raynea's birthday than I thought." She turned towards Raynea and smiled warmly, "Go upstairs and relax while we get everything ready."

"Mrs. Weasley—"

"Scoot, scoot," she insisted kindly, prompting Ron and Raynea to make more desperate attempts to explain their circumstances.

"Mum, forget about her birthday for a second. There's something more serious going on," Ron informed her gravely.

"What's the problem, Ronald?" Mrs. Weasley asked with a hint of impatience in her voice. Ron opened his mouth to reply, but was interrupted by a voice coming from behind them.

"Me," stated the cool voice of Draco Malfoy. He was standing in the doorway and everyone inside the house stared at him, completely in shock. Raynea whipped around to face him, her wand already drawn and aimed at him. Draco rolled his eyes as he held up his hands in mock surrender, "You always did jump to bloody conclusions."

"What're you doing here?" Raynea demanded, narrowing her eyes. Draco took a cautious step forward, his arms still turned upward.

"I…uh…I need you all to hear me out…"

"Not bloody likely," Raynea shot back fiercely.

"Come on, McCoy…"

Suddenly, six other wands were pointed at Draco and his expression became more fearful. He backed up a few paces until he was pushed up against the door. Raynea, Hermione and the Weasleys came up to him and had their wands poised right in his face. Draco still seemed arrogant despite the fact that his expression looked terrified.

"Will you people just let me explain myself?" he inquired edgily.

Raynea turned her head back towards Mrs. Weasley and looked to her for guidance, but she seemed just as unsure and bewildered as the rest of them.

"Wait until Arthur gets home…he'll know what to do…" Mrs. Weasley suggested hesitantly.

"What do we do with this ponce until then?" Fred asked angrily.

"Tie him up," Raynea stated furiously, returning her gaze to Draco and glaring at him. He appeared scared at first, but smirked after a moment. He always did hide his fear with smugness.

"Oh, now you know I don't play that way, McCoy," he said smoothly. Raynea sucked in her cheeks and dug her wand into his chest viciously. Her face was suddenly coated with realization as she shoved her hand into the front pocket of his pants. Draco's eyes widened in surprise before his smirk grew.

"Well, this hardly seems the time to—"

Raynea removed her hand from his vicinity and held up his wand in front of his face mockingly. Draco's face fell automatically as she tossed the object across the room and out of his reach. He straightened up and cleared his throat as everyone continued to glare at him with suspicion.

"Fine, do your worst, then," Draco grumbled in defeat. Raynea took a few steps back and faced the others. They all quietly discussed their plan of action while Draco just stood there against the doorframe. Finally, Raynea spun around so that they were face to face once again. She held her wand up so that it was level with his eyes and gestured towards the living room.

"Start walking that way," she ordered quietly. Draco rolled his eyes as he started towards the room, with Raynea treading just behind him. She had her wand shoved against his back, which only added to Draco's frustration. Everyone else followed after Raynea as she led Draco into the living room. There was a chair placed right in front of the fireplace that she commanded Draco to sit in. He reluctantly obeyed her request before Mrs. Weasley came to the front of the group and flicked her wand at him. Ropes shot out from the end of it and wrapped around either one of Draco's wrists, binding him to the chair. Another set of ropes tethered his ankles together, leaving him completely immobile. He grunted in annoyance as he looked up at all the anxious faces staring down at him.

"What the hell did this bloody accomplish?" Draco demanded through gritted teeth.

"We don't know your intentions," Hermione responded curtly.

"Well, maybe if you gave me a chance to explain them to you…" he trailed off bitterly.

"It's safer this way," Raynea stated sharply, "Now, you're less of a threat, not that you were much of one in the first place."

"Ooh…that was cold," Draco answered as he offered her a twisted smile.

"Grin all you want, Malfoy. You're the one who's at our mercy," Raynea responded firmly. He immediately relaxed his face before glaring up at them.

"Say your piece, you git," Ron said angrily, "Why're you here?"

Draco bit his lip in irritation as he cast his eyes downward. Now that he was finally given the chance to explain himself, he chose silence. Raynea wasn't surprised by the irony in this. Draco would never do what anyone told him to, and if he did, it was always with an attitude.

"You finally got what you wanted. Talk," Raynea ordered.

After another moment of hesitation, Draco's face was covered by a look of fear before he finally began to speak.

"I'm not one of them…not anymore," he said in a hushed voice.

"What'd you mean?" Ron questioned.

"Even you're not that dense, Weasley. You understand what I mean," Draco announced roughly, "I turned my back on the Death Eaters."

Raynea's eyes widened for a second as she heard this latest piece of news. She was sincerely shocked, and even excited for a second. Then, she remembered who she was dealing with. Draco Malfoy didn't have it in him to leave the Death Eaters, but he definitely had the capabilities to formulate a convincing lie.

"I'm on your side," Draco added on after a bit of communal silence.

Raynea felt her stomach drop as she backed up a few paces. This was too much to handle. It was either the truth or a huge conspiracy. Honestly, she was certain it was the latter. She had learned the hard way that you should never trust Draco Malfoy. Instead of responding to his last statement, she turned her back on him and strolled into the kitchen. She refused to deal with this…she actually _couldn't_ deal with it. It was just too much.

Ron appeared in the kitchen just behind her. He looked down at her with a serious expression as he sighed.

"Do you think he could be telling the truth?" Ron questioned.

Raynea shook her head despairingly before answering.

"No."

"So…what'd we do now?"

"Do what your mum said," she replied softly, "We'll wait till your dad comes back."

***

In the time that they all spent waiting for Mr. Weasley to return home, Raynea got dressed and tidied up her room a little. She would do anything to keep herself from having to go back downstairs. Seeing Draco again after the few months they had spent apart was difficult to deal with. It was especially hard for her since a lot of her feelings for him came rushing back. She knew what he was, but it wasn't enough to make her hate him. Raynea still cared…even though she was absolutely livid with him.

She was so sure that he was still a Death Eater. He had another mission or he was a spy or something. There was no way that Draco had turned his back on them completely. Most of his family was Death Eaters, so what incentive would he have to leave? Perhaps Draco didn't believe in their cause. Maybe he really did want to be on the right side. He did seem utterly miserable in the last months of their sixth year. It was like he wasn't even himself…could this be because he was forced into being a Death Eater against his will? Raynea recalled what she had heard that night on the Astronomy Tower—the night that Professor Dumbledore had died…

"_I have to kill you…or he'll kill me._"

Draco was being threatened, but that didn't necessarily mean he had changed sides. Nothing really added up. The whole predicament was rather confusing, but Raynea refused to believe that Draco was telling the truth. He had lied to her so many other times; she couldn't trust him about this—or anything else, for that matter. Her mistrust was the reason for her harshness, that and she was seriously torn by her feelings and her anger. There were too many emotions to feel in this situation, and Raynea was going into overload. She was ripped from her thoughts suddenly as Ron entered the room with caution.

"Er…Dad's back. We told him what's going on," he explained uneasily, "You better come downstairs."

"Okay," Raynea responded as she swallowed a lump in her throat and followed Ron out the door.

The two raced down the steps as fast as they possibly could and headed into the living room immediately. Draco was still bound to the same chair with a sour look on his face while Mr. Weasley and Hermione were talking off to the side of the room. Ron and Raynea approached them expectantly.

"Hi, Mr. Weasley," Raynea began breathlessly, "I'm guessing that you have an idea of what to do about all this."  
Mr. Weasley gazed down at the ground pensively before snapping his head up and looking at the other three with a grave expression.

"The only thing we can do now is question him," Mr. Weasley said reasonably, "We'll have to find out what he knows, if he's even willing to tell us anything. After that, we can decide on a more definite course of action."

Ron, Hermione and Raynea all nodded in unison, then the group paced over to Draco, who looked more petulant than ever.

"Tell us again what you're doing here," Mr. Weasley instructed firmly.

Draco rolled his eyes and sighed before addressing the question.

"I already bloody told you...I want to be on your side," he replied impatiently.

"Why do you want to change sides? Why now?" Mr. Weasley inquired.

Draco seemed to have a lot of trouble answering this particular question. He evaded their eyes and stared down into his lap resignedly.

"I never wanted to be…" he trailed off, "I'm just not one of them. I never really could be."

"Then why did you try to kill Albus Dumbledore?"

"Those were my bloody orders…I didn't have a choice. It was his life, or mine. Besides, I'm not the one who did it in the end."

"Why didn't you?"

"…Because I couldn't," Draco admitted after a short silence.

Raynea gazed down at him with soft eyes as she crossed her arms over her chest. She knew that, that part was at least true. She had witnessed the whole thing. She knew for a fact that Draco couldn't force himself to kill Dumbledore.

"So, after being a Death Eater for months, you finally want out?" Ron demanded.

"I couldn't very well stroll out and announce to them all that I was a deserter, now could I?" Draco shot back irritably, "I had to find the right time…I had to wait..."

"You planned to leave from the very beginning?" Mr. Weasley asked curiously.

"Well…no," Draco confessed.

"And you truly want to fight for our side?"

"Yes," he responded.

Mr. Weasley turned to face Ron, Hermione and Raynea before beckoning them into the kitchen. Raynea heard Draco sigh in annoyance as they exited the room, but she ignored it as she joined the other three around the table.

"What do you all think?" Mr. Weasley asked seriously.

"I don't really know," Hermione answered as she bit her lip, "Part of me thinks he could be telling the truth…but there's a huge chance that he's trying to trick us."

"The git's a ruddy liar, dad," Ron stated, "You can't even consider the possibility that he's telling the truth."

"I agree with Hermione," Mr. Weasley told them, "We can't be sure."

"No way," Ron said as he shook his head, "He's still a Death Eater, I know it."

Hermione gazed across the table at Raynea and folded her lips before speaking up once again.

"What'd you think, Raynea?" she questioned gently, "You would know better than any of us."

Mr. Weasley looked rather confused by Hermione's last statement, and turned to face Raynea with curiosity.

"What does she mean, Raynea?" he inquired.

Raynea crossed her arms and stared at the table shamefully. Ron's eyes shifted to Raynea, then he looked at his father to convey a message to him.

"Dad…" he trailed off right before he widened his eyes as if that would serve as an explanation to the question. Mr. Weasley opened his mouth in realization as he glanced at Raynea and cleared his throat.

"Well, then…" he began uncomfortably before getting down to business once again, "Raynea…perhaps you could find out more information."

Her head snapped up and she furrowed her brow as Mr. Weasley started to explain his plan.

"You can talk to Draco…or reason with him…do anything you have to, to get information from him. Or, at least decide if he's trustworthy. Meanwhile, we can work on getting something that will give us the truth no matter what."

"You want to use Veritaserum, don't you?" Hermione asked quietly.

"Yes," Mr. Weasley replied grimly, "And you all know it won't be easy to get, if we can even get it at all."

"Even if you are able to…it could take days," Hermione pointed out.

"I know. That's why you need to try and get through to him, Raynea. You can find out what he knows…or decide if we can trust him."

Raynea's stomach jolted violently as Mr. Weasley repeated these instructions. She couldn't believe that he was asking this of her.

"What makes you all think I could get more information?" she questioned.

"You know him better than we do," Hermione reminded her, "He might actually give you more of an explanation."

Raynea shook her head as she held back tears.

"No…" she said in a weak voice, "You can't ask me to do this alone."

"He trusts you, Rayne," Ron chimed in with a strained tone. Raynea knew that Ron wasn't interested in having her locked in a room with Draco in a thorough interrogation, but he knew that it was their best bet. It was the best way to obtain information while Mr. Weasley tried to get the Veritaserum.

"No," Raynea said nervously, "He won't listen to me…I won't be able to do it…."

"He cares about you," Hermione stated calmly, "There's a good chance that he'll really talk to you. When we're all around, he doesn't say much, but if you two were alone—"

"No," Raynea answered forcefully as she stood up from the table, "He's a bloody Death Eater, okay? We can't trust him…so just throw him out…"

She stormed out of the kitchen, stomped up the stairs and entered her room, slamming the door shut behind her. She laid down on her bed and drew her knees up as she stared down at her hands, which were resting on her stomach. The notion that Raynea would actually be able to get through to Draco was ridiculous to her. He would be just as stubborn with her as he would with the rest of them. However, the others insisted that she could make progress with him while Mr. Weasley tried to obtain the potion. Raynea considered the whole plan to be stupid. In her eyes, Draco was still a Death Eater. She was almost certain that he was trying to fool them, though a small part of her had doubt. In a way, he seemed sincere, but Raynea wouldn't allow herself to believe him so easily. She wanted solid proof. Actually she just wanted him to be gone. Things would be far less complicated that way.

Suddenly, Raynea heard her door swing open and she glanced over to see Ron walk in. He looked extremely discomforted as he took a seat at the end of the bed. He sighed deeply before gazing down at Raynea sympathetically.

"I know you think we're all mad," Ron stated with a hint of gentle amusement in his voice, "but you know deep down that we have a point."

Raynea sat up and pulled her knees against her chest as she stared at her friend with heavy eyes.

"I can't do it, Ron," she told him weakly, "This has been so hard already. You can't ask me to do this."

"Please, Raynea," Ron responded seriously, "You know that he trusts you. You're probably one of the reasons that he came here in the bloody first place."

"You think he's lying, too," Raynea reminded him, casting her eyes downward.

"Yeah," Ron agreed, "but, even though he's a bastard, he deserves a chance. You know how awful you'd feel if we tossed him out and you learned that he was telling the truth all along."

"I know," she said quietly, "His record is against him, though. We have no reason to trust him."

"Harry would try to find out as much as he could," Ron pointed out, "If Harry was here, he would want to know the truth."

Raynea nodded slowly in agreement as her eyes trailed up to Ron's face. She knew he was right. Harry _would _try to get the straight answer. At that moment, Raynea really wished that he was there. He would handle this situation a lot better than any of them could. He was supposed to arrive in a few weeks, but once he got wind of everything going on at the Burrow, he would probably try to come sooner. Raynea remembered what Harry would do, and that made her think more rationally. She had to ignore her personal feelings and do what was right.

"Fine," she said after a long silence, "bring him up here."


	3. Chapter 3

**Author's Note: Thank you so much for your reviews! I'm glad that the story seems to be headed in a good direction. I really, really hope you enjoy this update! There's some seriousness and a little bit of fluff to keep things kinda light. I'm trying to keep it interesting even though the circumstances are pretty weird. Anyway, I hope you like it and please, please leave a review! Thanks so much!!! :) **

Raynea left while Mr. Weasley and Ron brought Draco up to her room. She took this time to go in the bathroom and splash some water on her face. She was sweating from all her nerves and desperately needed to cool off. She was handling everything even worse than she thought she would. The whole situation was so unbelievable.

"_I was never supposed to see him again_," Raynea mused tiredly as she stared into the mirror. She abruptly turned the sink off before drying her face with a towel and exiting the bathroom. After closing the door behind her slowly, Raynea treaded down the hallway and to the door of her bedroom. Draco would definitely be tied up there by now and he would be alone. She tried to accept the fact that she would have to face him completely alone again, but it was truly difficult. Raynea placed her hand on the doorknob and inhaled sharply as she pushed the door open.

Inside, Draco was, as expected, bound to the same wooden chair, incapable of making any movements. Raynea swallowed a lump in her throat as the door clicked shut behind her. She strolled forward a little while Draco stared up at her with a smirk. He would definitely find a way to make the circumstances more annoying than they already were. Raynea stayed a few feet away from him and stood there with her arms crossed over her chest. There was a long silence where the two just gazed at each other. They had shared this type of exchange so many times, but this was the strangest it had ever been. Suddenly, the silence between them was broken.

"Are you gonna get to it, then?" Draco asked harshly. Raynea narrowed her eyes at him as she paced the room anxiously and opened her mouth to address him.

"Could you stop being a jackass for a second?" she shot back.

"You're the one who has me tied up, and you're pissed off?" he demanded as he rolled his eyes, "That's just rich."

Raynea licked her lips in frustration as she stopped moving. She had to put her feelings aside and take this seriously. She came right up to Draco so that they were about a foot apart, and kneeled down to his height. He gazed at her with more intensity as she took a deep breath in.

"What are you doing here, Malfoy?" she asked plainly.

"How many times do I have to—?" Draco cut himself off before rephrasing his response, "I wanna fight for your side."

"Really?" Raynea returned disbelievingly, "Why?"

"I just…I'm not a Death Eater…it's not who I bloody am," he told her roughly, "I wish it was…but it's just not."

"Fine, so you're not a Death Eater," Raynea repeated, going along with his story to see if she could piece together the truth, "Then, why come to us? Why not just run away?"

Draco sighed and rolled his eyes before shifting them off to the side. He allowed his gaze to fall upon Raynea once again as he took more time to give his answer. He seemed ashamed, in a way.

"Because…" he began in annoyance, "…because I need your help."

Raynea was taken aback by his confession and leaned back so that she was now seated on the floor. She pondered his last statement and realized that it _did _make sense, especially considering his sudden appearance.

"You want our help?" she questioned doubtfully, "You know, Dumbledore wanted to help you…and you said you didn't want it."

"What was I supposed to do?" Draco demanded furiously, "Walk up to the old bastard and tell him their whole ruddy plan for me? Recall that I was ordered to kill _him_. I couldn't exactly tell him about it."

"You could've asked me for help," Raynea informed him with a quaking voice.

"Yeah, so then you could go to Potter and you all could turn me in? I don't think so," he replied angrily.

"We could've helped you," Raynea said, trying to hold back her rage.

"Well, I'm asking for help now."

"It's too late," she stated irately, "You're one of them. You have the mark and everything."

"It's not what I want," Draco exclaimed heatedly, "I never wanted it in the first place. He threatened to kill me…I had no choice."

"Yes you did," Raynea insisted in a hushed voice, "You could've chosen to ask for help in the very beginning…then we wouldn't be in this bloody mess."

"So, the fact that I was threatened into a life I never wanted is my fault?" Draco asked pointedly, his expression enraged.

Raynea couldn't form a witty reply, so she merely sat there with her arms crossed over her chest. Draco seemed satisfied with his winning statement, until she spoke again.

"Do I have any reason to trust you?" Raynea questioned softly.

"…No," he stated solemnly before he started to smirk slightly, "but part of you does, anyway."

Raynea rolled her eyes at his arrogance. Though, a nearly microscopic part of her _did _trust him, but it wasn't enough to release him.

"Raynea, you know me," Draco told her with a serious tone, "You _know _me."

"No," she answered angrily yet quietly, "I _thought _I knew you…but I was wrong."

"You do," he said forcefully. They simply glared at each other for a few minutes. Raynea was furious, but she couldn't ignore the feeling in her gut. Something told her that Draco had been speaking the truth, though she couldn't be sure. She still refused to trust him.

"I know what they're gonna do to me," he stated through gritted teeth, breaking the silence, "Those idiots wanna use Veritaserum."

"Can you blame them?"

"Uh…yeah," Draco responded in annoyance, "You should just accept what I'm bloody saying."

"We have to be sure—"

"I don't give a damn about your reasons for doing it. Just save it. How would you feel if someone used that stuff on you?"

Raynea lowered her eyes and stared down at her lap remorsefully. She could totally understand what Draco was feeling. It probably didn't sit well knowing that anyone could find out any secret about you that they wanted. However, despite her sympathy, Raynea knew that it had to be done. They would have to dose Draco with Veritaserum to obtain the whole truth.

"Exactly," he snapped as he looked up at the ceiling irritably.

There was a rather long stretch of silence. Neither one looked at the other as they sat there. The tension in the room was mind-blowing. Raynea eventually glanced up at him and he kept his eyes aimed to the side.

"I'm sorry, Malfoy," she said firmly, "It has to be done."

"Oh, I see how it is now…I'm just 'Malfoy' to you again," Draco scoffed as he raised his eyebrows in exasperation, "Isn't that bloody wonderful…"

"What did you expect?" Raynea demanded as she furrowed her brow in honest confusion, "That you'd walk through the door and I'd jump on you?"

"Kinda," he replied with a smirk and a shrug.

"You're nauseating," she informed him, a look of disgust covering her face.

He just offered her another shrug, and then they fell into silence again. Raynea wanted the interrogation to be over. It had been difficult enough so far, she didn't know how much more she could take. She hadn't really been successful in attaining any further information, so the whole thing had just been a big waste of time and energy. Raynea was ripped away from her bitter musings as Draco addressed her again.

"So…" he began smoothly, obviously trying to stray away from the matter at hand, "Correct me if I'm wrong, but didn't I hear mention of it being someone's birthday?"

"Oy," she groaned in aggravation.

"I'll take that as a 'yes'."

"That has nothing to do with anything important."

"It has to do with you…you're important."

"To who? You?" she scoffed as her expression turned to one full of doubt.

Draco seemed as though he had an immediate answer to her question, but the look on his face indicated that he decided against stating it aloud. He cleared his throat loudly before continuing.

"To the gits down there," he grumbled, evading her eyes.

"Right," Raynea agreed heatedly.

Then, more silence overcame them. It seemed as though nothing else could be said. Raynea was accurate when she said she wouldn't be able to get much information out of Draco. She just wished that everyone had believed her earlier. Then, she wouldn't have had to spend the last hour in emotional hell. After another moment, she stood up and treaded towards the door. Raynea felt Draco's eyes burning into her retreating figure as she twisted the doorknob.

"You know me, Raynea," he called after her roughly, "You know I'm telling the truth….Let them know it, too."

She didn't respond or turn around, but simply exited the room with a hard look on her face. After shutting the door behind her, Raynea felt tears coat her eyes. She blinked them away rapidly as she headed down the hallway and to the stairs.

***

"I told you, I have no more information," Raynea insisted impatiently as she, Ron and Hermione lounged upstairs in Ron's room. A few hours had passed since her so-called 'interrogation,' and Ron and Hermione were sure that there was more for Raynea to tell.

"Come on, Rayne," Ron pressed further, "He must've told you something we don't already know."

"He didn't," Raynea verified sharply.

"Well, at least you tried," Hermione said kindly, trying to better the situation for her friend. She was quite aware of how tough the day had been for Raynea.

"Did either of you have a chance to write Harry?" Raynea questioned.

"Yeah, Hermione did it while you were locked up with Malfoy," Ron informed her as he sighed.

"Good," Raynea stated with a nod, "I hope he gets back to us soon."

"Honestly, he could handle this better than any of us," Hermione agreed, a hint of amusement in her voice. Raynea sensed Hermione's uneasiness. She was also able to understand why Ron was trying so hard to take charge. The three of them were thinking the same thing: If only Harry was here…

Raynea inhaled unevenly and tore her eyes away from her distressed friends. She really didn't want to discuss the matter any further, but how could they even focus on anything else? The day was so action-packed, it was hard to even recall that things had been so normal only hours ago. Raynea considered the day to be one of the longest she had ever had. It was night by this time, and Mr. Weasley had still not returned home. His attempts to get Veritaserum were probably not going very well, if Raynea had to guess.

Suddenly, Ron hopped up from his seat on the floor and headed towards the door.

"Dinner's probably ready guys," he announced distractedly, "We should get down there."

Hermione nodded in agreement as she joined Ron by the door, but Raynea remained seated on the floor.

"You coming?" Ron inquired.

"Uh…I'm not really hungry," she answered quietly, "Maybe I'll grab a plate and see if Malfoy wants something."

Both Ron and Hermione gave her puzzled looks as Raynea slowly got up from where she was sitting. She glanced up at her friends and froze when she noticed their confused expressions.

"What?" she asked uncomfortably, "Sure, he's being held as a prisoner, but he also might be hungry."

Ron and Hermione now exchanged amused looks before making their way into the hallway. Raynea followed after them embarrassedly, rolling her eyes at her own actions.

***

After convincing Mrs. Weasley that she was in no need of dinner, Raynea traveled up the staircase with a full plate of food and utensils intended for Draco. She wasn't sure if he'd accept it, but it was worth a shot. Despite the fact that she was blinded with rage, Raynea didn't want Draco to starve to death. She headed down the hallway slowly and felt her heart racing as she went into her room. It was completely dark upon her entrance, but once she got some light into the space, Raynea saw that Draco was still tied to the chair. He was just staring ahead with a blank expression on his face initially, but Raynea's presence prompted him to come out of his sort of trance. He went from meditative to cocky in a split second and smirked up at her.

"You forgot to knock," Draco stated slyly.

"Bite me," Raynea shot back as she slammed the door shut.

He seemed to ponder her last comment before raising his eyebrows suggestively.

"Poor choice of words."

"Eww," she groaned irritably, approaching him and shoving the plate of food towards his face, "Here."

"What?"

"You've been sitting there for hours…you must be hungry," Raynea reasoned impatiently.

"About time," he said harshly, "I'm bloody starving."

"Then, take it," Raynea grumbled as she pushed the plate closer to him.

Draco's smirk grew as his eyes flickered down to his bound hands before returning to her and the item she was carrying.

"Right." Raynea placed the plate on his lap and he laughed darkly.

"That's great…how am I supposed to eat it?" Draco questioned ironically.

"You'll figure something out," Raynea told him with a shrug.

Draco stared up at her amusedly, then glanced down to the utensils sitting on top of the plate.

"If you're suggesting what I _think _you're suggesting…" she trailed off irately.

"Doesn't seem like we have any other options, does it?" he asked cockily.

Raynea glared at him brutally before kneeling down to his level and picking up the knife and fork poised over the mounds of food resting on the plate. She gathered some mashed potatoes on the fork and brought it closer to Draco's mouth bitterly. He continued to smirk as she inched the food closer to his lips. Raynea gave him one last sickened look before shoving the forkful in his mouth hesitantly.

"Was that so hard?" Draco asked smugly once he swallowed the first bite, "It's not like its unfamiliar territory for you."

"Okay, meal time's over," Raynea declared angrily, removing the plate from his lap and placing it on the dresser.

"Oh, come on," Draco exclaimed in annoyance.

"Shut up," she snapped before heading out of the room and shutting the door forcefully behind her.

***

Raynea returned downstairs and was surprised by the cake and presents sitting on the kitchen table waiting for her. She found it a bit odd that they would all do this for her, especially considering the circumstances, but she was still extremely grateful. It was nice of everyone to try to celebrate her birthday despite their surprise guest. After spending a few hours downstairs laughing and joking as though everything was normal, Ron, Hermione and Raynea headed upstairs to prepare for bed. However, there was a huge issue with the sleeping arrangements. Draco was still tied up in Raynea's room, and she wasn't interested in having him camp out there for the night. Though, Ron somehow found the positive ramifications of this. Raynea was really starting to hate his sudden need to be responsible.

"You can keep a closer eye on him if he stays there," Ron reasoned hesitantly. She knew that he didn't really want her to have to stay in the same room as Draco, but he was trying to be practical.

"Do you want me to keep watch or something?" Raynea questioned pointedly.

"Well, I think that might be a good idea, actually," Ron told her with a sigh, "I know we left him up there alone before, but he knows we'll have our guards down when we're asleep. This way, he won't get any ideas."

"You can't be serious…" she trailed off in annoyance.

"I'm sorry, Rayne," he apologized with sincerity.

"I'll stay up with you," Hermione offered after a few moments of silence.

"Hermione, you don't have to do that," Raynea said, not wanting to expose her friend to the torture she was being put through.

"No really, I don't want to leave you alone," Hermione insisted kindly, "Just lemme change and I'll come back to your room."

Hermione smiled at Raynea softly as she headed off towards the bathroom. Raynea turned towards Ron irritably and glared.

"See? 'Mione will be with you," he reminded her as he forced an encouraging grin.

"Night, Ron," Raynea stated briskly before turning her back on him and entering her bedroom.

Draco looked up at her upon her entrance and gave her a twisted smile.

"Looks like we're bedmates for the evening," he stated pompously.

"We're _roommates_," Raynea corrected lividly, "And Hermione's staying in here, too."

"Oy," he grumbled, "What? Do you think we need a bloody chaperone?"

"No," Raynea replied firmly, "She's just going to keep me company while I make sure you don't try to escape."

"Believe me, if I knew how to get out of these ropes, I would have already," Draco informed her bitingly.

"Good to know."

***

A few hours had passed, and Hermione and Raynea had taken to sitting in silence as they grew more and more fatigued. Draco also seemed to be exhausted as well. His eyes kept closing and reopening over and over again. Raynea was really starting to drift, but was trying so hard to keep herself alert. After a short period of closing her eyes, she forced them open again and looked down to see that Hermione was completely out. Her eyes were shut and she was breathing steadily. Yes, Raynea was quite sure that Hermione was unable to keep herself awake any longer. Then, Raynea glanced over to Draco to see that he was also asleep. His head pitched forward slightly and his eyes were shut. He looked far from peaceful, and Raynea knew this was because of his current condition. She sighed heavily before shaking Hermione awake.

"What…" Hermione trailed off incoherently.

"You can go to bed, Hermione," Raynea told her friend kindly, "Malfoy's asleep…I can handle this on my own.

"No…but…I'll stay…" Hermione said disjointedly.

"Come on," Raynea responded as she hoisted her friend upwards and led her to her down the hall and to her own bedroom.

"I'll stay….I'll stay…" Hermione insisted in a crackly voice.

"Go to bed," Raynea ordered with a chuckle as she eased Hermione onto her mattress.

Hermione muttered something unintelligible before falling into silence once again. Raynea smiled warmly as she glanced down at her sleeping friend, then made her way back to her room. She immediately fell backwards onto her bed and closed her eyes. Staying awake didn't seem necessary if Draco was sleeping, anyway. Raynea allowed herself to glide into a state of semi-unconsciousness, which she was torn from rather quickly.

"Not falling asleep on the job, are we?"

Raynea's eyes opened instantly and she sat up to hear Draco laughing at her tiredly.

"You're supposed to be asleep," she groaned in irritation.

"Yeah, well, your bloody yammering woke me up," he told her roughly, "Nice move."

"Go back to sleep," Raynea ordered in a hoarse voice as she flattened herself onto her bed once again.

"Can't," he replied smoothly, "I'm awake for the night, now."

Raynea heaved herself upwards again and glared at him, though she knew he couldn't see it in the darkness. She could barely make out his face, for the room was nearly pitch black. However, her eyes started to adjust and she could see his pale figure more clearly.

"Fine," Raynea stated in annoyance, "I guess I'll have to sit up and stare at you all night."

"Go right ahead," Draco responded arrogantly.

She moved towards the edge of her bed and kept her eyes fixed on his shape. Raynea could see him much more easily now, but she wasn't able to pick up on facial expressions or anything too particular. However, she noticed that Draco's head was aimed towards hers and it seemed as though he was staring back at her. Raynea was resolute to stay awake, now. She remained completely still as she sat there and gazed at him. Her eyes were heavy with exhaustion, but her stubbornness kept her attentive. Draco appeared to be unwavering in his attempts to remain conscious, also. The pair just looked at one another for hours. Eventually, Raynea felt herself starting to drift again. She could tell that the hour was late, and it was becoming increasingly difficult to keep her eyes open. The last thing she remembered was falling back onto her bed and feeling relief when her eyes finally closed.


	4. Chapter 4

**Author's Note: Thank you so much for reviewing! I really hope you enjoy this update!! It's pretty important, like for real. It might seem a tad boring in the middle, but all the info and such is crucial. I really, really, really would appreciate reviews for this chapter. Please review! I can't stress it enough...actually, I think I have...okay, I'm done now. I hope you like it! Thanks so, so much!!! :)**

_Raynea stirred a little as her eyes slowly opened. She sighed tiredly as she shivered from the draftiness of her bedroom and tried to blink away the heavy feeling in her eyes. The room was still fairly dark, though it was obviously early in the morning. Raynea merely lay there for a few moments as she tried to make herself more alert to her surroundings. She stared at the ceiling with a rather blank expression on her face, until a rustling caused her to turn her head suddenly. Her eyes fell upon Draco, who had apparently broken free from his restraints. He towered above her with his arms at his sides and a serious look upon his face. _

_Despite the fact that he had the ability to move around again, Raynea wasn't afraid. She was deeply confused, but not afraid. She simply gazed up at Draco without even lifting her head from her pillow. After another few seconds, she opened her mouth to question him._

_"How—"_

_He moved right up against her bed and lowered himself down to her level so that his face was hovering just a foot above hers. He didn't offer a reply, but placed his index finger in front of his lips to indicate that he wanted her to stay silent. Raynea didn't show any sign of movement, nor did she speak another word. Draco just stared at her intensely for another minute before easing himself on top of her and pressing his lips against hers forcefully. For some time, Raynea just remained completely still, then she began to go along with his movements. He gradually ran his hands up her arms before resting them on her shoulders. Abruptly, Draco pulled away from her and stared. She offered him a puzzled expression before he slid his hands onto her neck and grasped it tightly. He choked her with great brutality and his exertion nearly crushed her windpipe. Her mouth opened in pain as he crushed her throat with more force…_

Raynea gasped as her eyes shot open and she pitched herself upright. Her breathing was rapid as she tried her best to calm herself down. She rested her hand upon her throat as she continued to catch her breath. Another few seconds passed before she was distracted from her fright.

"Bad dream?" Draco asked smoothly. Raynea felt relief when she saw that he was still bound to the chair. It had just been a dream, but it felt so very real.

"I'm fine," she responded quickly, her eyes wide. She continued to speak in an effort to preoccupy herself from the memories of her nightmare, "Did you even sleep at all last night?"

"Nope," he informed her in annoyance, "It's kinda hard to sleep when you're, you know, tied to a chair."

"What'd you do all night, then?"

"Watched you sleep," he stated casually.

"Well, that's…great," Raynea grumbled sarcastically as she slid off her bed and onto her feet.

"It's a lot better than dealing with you when you're bloody awake," Draco explained roughly, "I get to look at you without having to listen to you bitch all the time."

"That doesn't make me feel any better," she returned in annoyance.

"Well, I wasn't saying it to make you feel better, McCoy. It's the ruddy truth. You're nice to look at…not always nice to listen to, though," Draco told her smugly.

Raynea stared at him in disgust and crossed her arms over her chest before he scowled.

"Please," he jeered, "You know you're frigging flattered."

"I'm not flattered, Malfoy," she corrected with narrowed eyes, "I'm sickened."

Draco raised his eyebrows at her arrogantly while she treaded over to the door and exited the room with rage flowing through her. Raynea ranted internally as she stomped down the stairs.

"_Stupid git. That stupid, stubborn, cocky…wonderful git."_

She cringed at the last adjective she chose as she crossed over into the kitchen. Upon her entrance, Raynea was surprised by Mr. Weasley's weathered figure sitting at the head of the table. He looked thoroughly exhausted and seemed a bit melancholy as well. Hermione and Ginny were seated at either one of his sides, both wearing grave expressions on their faces. Raynea swallowed a lump in her throat as she cautiously approached the table.

"Good morning, Mr. Weasley," she said, trying to sound kind and casual, but sounded fearful instead.

"Hello, Raynea," he replied quietly as he offered her a small smile.

"Is everything okay?" Raynea inquired.

"Yes," Mr. Weasley told her, avoiding eye contact, "Yes, everything is well."

Raynea opened her mouth to question him further, when Ron made his way into the room. As soon as he saw his father, Ron started to interrogate him without even greeting him with a 'good morning.'

"Dad…you're back. Did you get it?"

Mr. Weasley waited a couple seconds before offering his reply. He sounded extremely troubled as he spoke.

"Yes."

"How'd you do it?" Ron asked eagerly.

Mr. Weasley closed his eyes, seeming utterly discomfited. He sluggishly opened them again and fixed them down at the table.

"I don't want to talk about it, Ronald."

Raynea exhaled heavily as she gazed at Mr. Weasley's tense form. She had a feeling that he had to formulate some sort of lie to get what they needed and he obviously felt awful about it. Raynea couldn't blame him for this, but she knew that he had done the right thing. After a few minutes of uncomfortable silence, Ron took a seat at the table, as did Raynea. Ginny and Hermione exchanged uneasy looks before the entire group, excluding Mr. Weasley, glanced at each other in distress. Finally, Hermione spoke up.

"I was just thinking…" she began carefully, "What do we do once we find out Malfoy's intentions? What's our course of action?"

Another silence fell upon the room and Raynea felt her stomach jolt anxiously. She hadn't given this question much consideration. The whole time, she was certain that Draco was lying, so once they knew for sure that this was the case, they would just toss him out. However, Raynea came to the realization that everyone else might have another idea of how to deal with him.

"Well, if he's just been trying to trick us all along…I guess we'd have to…" Mr. Weasley trailed off pensively as he gave his explanation more thought.

"…kill him?" Ron asked, shuddering at the notion.

"No," Mr. Weasley responded firmly, "I suppose we'd have to contact the Ministry."

"Or we could just let him go," Raynea suggested quietly.

"You know we can't do that, Rayne," Hermione reasoned with a sympathetic look.

"You're right…I guess. Sorry…I dunno why I thought…" Raynea sighed and decided to leave her comment as it was. Everyone was probably aware of the rationale behind her proposition, there was no point in trying to hide her intentions.

"What'd we do if he actually does want to fight with us?" Ginny questioned abruptly.

Mr. Weasley reflected on his daughter's point for a few moments, then looked up at the other four around him for what seemed like the first time that morning.

"Then, he'll have to stay here, I guess."

Raynea's jaw dropped in shock as she gazed at Mr. Weasley with wide eyes.

"You want him…to stay…_here_?"

"It seems to be our only option, Raynea," Mr. Weasley informed her rationally, "If he truly does want to fight for our side, then we can't just turn him away. He has nowhere else to go."

Raynea sunk down in her chair as she crossed her arms. Mr. Weasley _did _have a point. She couldn't go against his logic, for he was right. Draco would have to stay…that is, _if _he was telling the truth.

"So…when do you wanna use the potion on him?" Ron inquired suddenly.

"Now," Mr. Weasley replied solemnly, "Let's just straighten this whole thing out right now."

***

Mr. Weasley led the way up the stairs and was followed by Ron, Hermione and Raynea. He seemed very resolute to get the whole situation figured out. Raynea suspected this was because of the lengths he had to go through to get the Veritaserum, but she found that she understood his point of view. She also wished to get this over and done with. However, she wasn't too keen on having to use the potion on Draco. He had told her that he didn't want to be interrogated in this manner, though they had no other options. Raynea had a horrible feeling in the pit of her stomach and tried her best to put it aside. She had to put everything aside, especially her feelings.

The group entered Raynea's room quickly, and she closed the door behind them, for she was the last to enter. Draco looked frightened as the four surrounded him. He seemed to know what was coming. Raynea inhaled deeply, hoping to ease her discomfort, but to no avail. Her sense of duty and her emotions were getting all tangled up. It was quite difficult to manage.

"I guess you gits are really happy with yourselves, now," Draco uttered, attempting to sound cocky and indifferent to mask his fear.

"Not in the slightest," Mr. Weasley returned unemotionally, "We have to get the truth from you, Malfoy…this is the only way to do that."

Mr. Weasley slowly removed a glass vial from his pocket, which housed a clear liquid that looked as though it could be water. Draco's eyes widened as he stared upon the vial with dread. He started to squirm around in his restraints as they all took a few steps closer to him.

"I'm sorry…it has to be done," Mr. Weasley stated in a strained voice as he approached Draco with the vial poised in his hand. Suddenly, Draco swallowed a lump in his throat before fixing his eyes on Raynea frantically.

"Don't you let them do this, Raynea," he exclaimed roughly, "You know that I'm telling the truth. You bloody know me. Don't let them do it."

Raynea breathed heavily as she gazed at Draco with teary eyes. He returned her look pleadingly as she gritted her teeth in order to prevent herself from crying. She bowed her head resignedly before turning it to the side, avoiding Draco's eyes completely.

"Raynea?" Mr. Weasley said apprehensively as he turned to face her. He was looking for her go-ahead. He was relying on her word.

"Don't listen to him," she answered after a long silence, "Just do it."

Draco narrowed his eyes as his expression contorted into one of anger.

"Bitch," he muttered furiously, breathing deeply to hide the tears in his eyes.

Mr. Weasley took another step forward as he uncapped the vial and started towards Draco's mouth. Abruptly, he was stopped from continuing his action.

"Wait," Draco stated severely, glancing at Raynea once again, "I want Raynea to do it."

Her eyes widened before they fell upon him. He just glared at her before offering her a vicious smirk. Raynea cleared her throat as she walked up to Mr. Weasley and took the vial from his grasp. She shook violently as she leaned Draco's head back and forced the liquid into his mouth. He closed his mouth and eyes in irritation. Everyone simply stared at him for a moment until he reopened his eyes and kept them fixed straight ahead. Mr. Weasley backed up a couple paces and immediately started his interrogation. He began by asking simple questions.

"What is your name?"

"Draco Malfoy," Draco snapped impatiently.

"Where do you attend school?"

"I _attended_ Hogwarts."

"What is your father's name?"

"Lucius Malfoy."

"Is he a Death Eater?"

Draco glared sharply at Mr. Weasley before answering.

"Yes."

"Are _you _a Death Eater?"

There was a slight pause.

"Yes."

Raynea cringed and closed her eyes as if she were in pain.

"When did you join their cause?"

"Christmas Day of last year."

"Was this by choice?"

"No."

"Were you chosen to kill Albus Dumbledore?"

"Yes." Draco's voice indicated that he was hurt as he admitted this. He groaned irritably before Mr. Weasley pressed on.

"Did you follow through with your orders?"

"No."

"Why not?"

"Because I couldn't do it."

"Couldn't do what?"

"I couldn't kill Albus bloody Dumbledore, alright?" Draco stated through gritted teeth, "How many times do I have to tell you?"

Mr. Weasley ignored Draco's petulance and continued on with his questioning.

"You're a Death Eater…"

"Yes."

"Do you wish to continue being one?"

"No."

"Why not?"

"Because I don't give a damn about this bloody war," Draco announced in agitation, "I know I'm better than a bunch of muggles and mudbloods, I don't have to prove it. They should just let them alone. They're not worth all the bloody trouble."

Mr. Weasley exchanged looks with Ron and Hermione, but Raynea just kept her gazed downwards at the floor. He cleared his throat and turned towards Draco once again.

"Do you want to fight for our side?"

"I don't want to fight for any side," Draco admitted heatedly, "…but I'm willing to fight for yours."

"Why?"

Draco's eyes flickered off to the side for a moment as he inhaled angrily.

"Raynea."

Raynea's eyes widened as her head snapped up in utter shock. She felt her knees buckle and she thought she might faint. Draco's last comment was truly unexpected.

"Well…right…okay, then…" Mr. Weasley trailed off uncomfortably, "Is there any other reason besides that…?"

"I don't want to be a Death Eater," Draco answered harshly.

"Why?"

"They forced me into being what they wanted…I do what _I_ want, and I'm gonna make my own bloody choice."

"And you chose to come here?"

"Yes."

"Why?"

"Because…" Draco writhed in discomfort as he grinded his teeth, "I love Raynea."

Every other person in the room turned to stare at Raynea and she merely stood there with wide eyes as her face turned red from both rage and embarrassment. She evaded all of their eyes and backed up until she was against the wall.

"Will you all just bloody focus…?" Draco muttered irritably, though with a hint of humiliation in his voice.

Mr. Weasley whipped back around and continued on.

"All right…uh…did you come to us for any other reason?"

"Yeah, I need your help."

Mr. Weasley opened his mouth in realization as he stared at Draco gravely.

"They'll come after you, won't they?"

"…Yes."

"And do what?"

"I dunno…either kill me…or make me join them again."

Raynea's head was spinning from all the information they had received. She was experiencing so many emotions at once, it was hard to focus on one thing at a time.

"So…you weren't sent to spy on us?"

"No."

"This has nothing to do with a plot made by the Death Eaters?"

"No."

"Do you have any intentions to turn on us in certain circumstances?"

"No."

"You came here of your own, free will?"

"Yes."

"And you're asking for our help?"

"…Yes."

Mr. Weasley nodded as he took in Draco's final statements. After a moment of silence, he spoke again.

"You have it, then."

Draco glanced up at all of them with a look of surprise on his face as Mr. Weasley took out his wand and flicked it at him. The ropes that had once bound Draco disappeared and Mr. Weasley held out his hand towards the former prisoner.

"You're welcome to join us…as long as you're still willing," Mr. Weasley stated.

"I'm bloody willing," Draco sighed as he looked down at Mr. Weasley's outstretched hand hesitantly.

After another second, he grabbed it and shook it forcefully.


	5. Chapter 5

**Author's Note: Thank you so, so much for the reviews! I really, really appreciate it! I made this update sorta on the long side, and I'm seriously hoping that you like it! Raynea and Hermione have an actual 'girl talk' moment, which I think is a first. And part of this chapter is from Draco's POV because I know some people were interested to see things from his perspective. Also, just as a warning, you might want to bitch slap Raynea during this chapter, which I totally understand. She's acting kinda ridiculous, but she tries to redeem herself. But, yeah I thought a warning was necessary. Anyway, please, please review! They are very inspirtational/motivational! Thanks so, so much!!! :)**

That evening had proven to be quite an adjustment for everyone—especially Raynea. As soon as Draco was set free, Mrs. Weasley prepared a room for him. It just so happened that his new bedroom, which used to belong to Charlie, was directly beside Raynea's. She wasn't sure if she could get used to this arrangement. Living with Draco in such close quarters would be uncomfortable, to say the least. However, after his unofficial induction into the house, Raynea totally refused to be around him. She would avoid him at any and all costs. Or, if they happened to be in the same place at the same time, she completely avoided eye contact. In fact, she hadn't even looked at Draco since his reluctant confession from earlier in the afternoon.

Raynea could hardly wrap her head around the idea. Draco Malfoy was in love with her. She repeated this over and over in her head, but the concept never became any less strange. Half the reason he even joined their side was because of her. She honestly had no idea what to think…or what to say. They hadn't spoken since the incident, and Raynea was fine with this lack of contact. She was too freaked out to discuss the matter any further. However, she did give a fair bit of thought to her feelings for him. Raynea was certain that she did not love Draco. She didn't trust him, so she couldn't love him. It just wasn't possible for her. She did care for him deeply, though. She had feelings for him, but it wasn't love.

By the time dinner rolled around, Raynea wasn't even sure if she'd be able to face him. She was truly afraid. She knew that he wouldn't behave as anything but the usual bastard that he was, but the tension between them would grow immensely. After lying on her bed for awhile and trying to build up the courage to see Draco again, Raynea finally made her way down to the kitchen. She found that she was the last to arrive, and the only available seat happened to be right beside Draco.

"_Great…that's just bloody perfect_," she thought in frustration as she sighed and slowly eased herself onto the chair.

Draco didn't turn his head, but Raynea knew that he was looking at her. His eyes were fixed off to the side and aimed right at her face. She clenched her teeth tensely and began to spoon food onto her plate. It was odd enough that Draco was in love with her, but the fact that he was sitting down to a dinner with her, Hermione and the Weasleys was even weirder. It was definitely an interesting group. Raynea would never have imagined sharing a meal with Draco Malfoy, especially while the Weasleys were present. It was just…bizarre.

Everyone started to eat except Draco. He stared down at the forkful of food dangling off the end of his utensil and sneered.

"What is this?" he questioned harshly.

"Its food, so just bloody eat it, you git," Ron snapped, glaring at Draco piercingly.

Draco gave Ron a dirty look before sluggishly placing the first bite of his meal into his mouth. He seemed utterly disgusted initially, but as he started chewing, his expression became surprised.

"This isn't bad for poor people food," Draco stated coolly as he continued to spoon more food into his mouth in rapid succession.

Raynea narrowed her eyes in annoyance as she exchanged looks with Ron and the twins. Mr. and Mrs. Weasley chose to ignore Draco's rude comment, and kept eating their meals in silence. Actually, the table was completely silent all throughout dinner. Everyone was obviously ill at ease since their new house guest arrived. Raynea could tell that Draco was uncomfortable too, but he tried to mask this with arrogance. She could see right through him, though.

Once dinner was over, Raynea immediately headed up to her room. The tension in the house was just too great, and she could hardly bear it. Plus, being in Draco's presence wasn't exactly fun for her. She felt extremely awkward and didn't even want to breathe the same air as him. However, since she refused to look at him, she technically didn't have to _see_ him. She tried to push any thoughts of Draco out of her head as she plopped onto her bed tiredly. It had been a long, eventful day and she was simply exhausted. Raynea closed her eyes and allowed herself to zone out a bit as she lay there. For once, she had been successful in blocking out any negative musings. Yes, she felt as though she was at peace for the time being. Unfortunately for her, this serenity was broken rather abruptly. Raynea heard the door to her room swing open and groaned impatiently without even looking to see who had entered. She wasn't interested in talking, so anyone's company was not welcome.

"Go away," Raynea called out as she covered her face with her pillow.

"Not sick of me already, are you?"

Raynea slowly uncovered her face and scowled as she stared upon the middle portion of Draco's thin figure. She was still resolute to never look him in the face again, so she refused to let her eyes trail upwards.

"Shove off," she grunted, casting her eyes downward.

"Not bloody likely," Draco returned severely, taking a seat at the end of her bed. As Raynea felt the weight of his body on the mattress, she instantly jumped to her feet and walked over to the mirror on the wall. She gazed into it anxiously as she crossed her arms over her chest. Draco sighed in annoyance and rose from the bed as well. By looking in the mirror, Raynea saw that he had come up behind her, the front of his body only inches from her back. She shuddered and lowered her eyes so that they were fixed upon the floor.

"You haven't spoken to me all day," Draco pointed out roughly.

"You're imagining things," Raynea jeered, her back still to him.

"You keep avoiding me."

"Yeah, well, you're not exactly a joy to be around," she shot back, stepping out of his vicinity and heading towards the door. Draco followed after her and snatched her arm forcefully before turning her towards him.

"Stop running away from me," he ordered viciously.

"Stop coming near me," Raynea responded in annoyance, her eyes still cast towards the floor.

"No," Draco told her plainly, "I want to talk to you."

"About what?"

"What'd you think?" he asked pointedly.

Raynea knew exactly what he had in mind. She had desperately been trying to avoid this conversation all day. After a moment of silence, she shrugged.

"You are so unbelievably frustrating," Draco informed her brutally as he threw her arm back down at her side, "You know bloody well what I'm talking about."

"I'm not discussing this with you, Malfoy," she answered angrily, "I can't…"

"You think this is hard for _you_?" Draco demanded with a hint of irritated amusement in his voice.

"We don't need to talk about it," Raynea said quietly, ignoring his last comment.

"Yeah? Well, that's your opinion."

"Just let it go."

"No."

"Why not?"

"Because I don't want to."

"Hasn't anyone ever told you that you can't always get what you want?" Raynea countered irately.

"Remember who you're talking to," Draco began cockily as he smirked, "I'm Draco Malfoy…I always get what I want. You're living proof of that."

"That was a long time ago, Malfoy," Raynea reminded him in a strained voice.

Draco exhaled irritably as he glared up at the ceiling, then returned his eyes to Raynea's face. She still hadn't looked at him despite the fact that they were carrying on a conversation.

"You're going to listen to what I have to say. Understand?" he explained slyly.

"Don't make me—"

"Don't talk," Draco exclaimed heatedly, "Just bloody listen."

"No…" Raynea shook her head as she grew even more nervous.

"Listen to me."

"No. I don't wanna hear it."

"I don't care."

"No…"

Draco gritted his teeth before taking a few steps towards her. His expression was enraged as he realized that she was avoiding all eye contact with him.

"Look at me!" he shouted cruelly, grabbing the sides of her face and forcing her head upwards. Raynea directed her stare off to the right so that she still didn't have to lay eyes on him. He scowled and tightened his grip on her head.

"Look at me," Draco repeated intensely. Raynea breathed in heavily before finally allowing her eyes to fall upon his face. He smirked in satisfaction, then became completely serious again.

"Listen…" he paused briefly as a look of concern covered her face, "I lo—"

"Don't say it," Raynea said pleadingly.

"Shut up," Draco commanded fiercely, tugging her forward so that the fronts of their bodies were nearly touching, "I love you."

Raynea ripped her eyes away from him and grunted in aggravation. He became more infuriated by her response and pulled her against him as she gasped in fright.

"I. Love. You," Draco repeated slowly with even more gruffness.

There was a long, awkward silence that seemed to last an eternity. Draco still held the sides of Raynea's face and she was pressed against him closely. Their proximity made her feel extremely discomfited as she searched for a way to respond to his last proclamation. She answered in the only way she could.

"And?"

"What'd you mean 'and'?" Draco demanded furiously as he pushed her away from him.

"I already heard this earlier…you didn't have to tell me again."

"Well, I couldn't leave things the way they bloody were," he yelled in frustration, "I just…I didn't want you to find out like that."

"I guess you don't always get what you want, then," Raynea stated coldly.

Draco glared at her violently and took another step forward.

"Do you honestly have nothing else to say to me?"

"You know, I really don't," she told him forcefully.

"So, that's it, then?"

"Yeah, that's it."

Draco just stared at her for the longest time, his expression was filled with an insane amount of rage. Though, underneath it all, Raynea could see that he was hurt. She felt awful about all the things she had just said, so she made an effort to explain her reasoning rationally.

"I can't love you, Draco," she admitted softly, "I'm sorry."

"You are so full of it," he replied.

Raynea gazed at him sympathetically, trying so hard to keep her emotions in check. Though, it was proving to be even more difficult than usual.

"Don't look at me like that," he snapped.

"Like what?"

"Like I'm pathetic or something," Draco said irritably.

"Sorry, I didn't mean to—"

"Just save it," he answered aggressively before pushing past her, exiting the room and slamming the door shut behind him.

** *

Later that evening, Raynea went to Hermione for some council. She was rather upset over the fight she had had with Draco and desperately needed a second opinion. Raynea gave her account of the entire argument, careful not to leave out any details. She even supplied some direct quotes, just to be sure that she was thorough. After spending a good twenty minutes giving the anecdote, Raynea waited to see what Hermione had to say about the whole situation.

"Well…er…" Hermione began uneasily. She seemed pretty uncomfortable discussing this particular topic, and Raynea didn't pick up on that fact until she looked at the hesitant expression on her friend's face.

"I'm sorry," Raynea apologized with sincerity, "I know you don't really like Malfoy…and…uh…I'm sure this is kinda weird for you considering that it's only the second time I've come to you to talk about him."

She was honestly humiliated. The last time she had discussed this type of thing with Hermione, she was sobbing hysterically because Draco had ended their relationship. It had been a few months since they really, truly talked about him in depth. Raynea wished she had thought this all out _before _she started ranting to Hermione.

"No, its okay, Rayne," Hermione assured her as she smiled, "I'm just trying to sort this whole thing out…"

"I know it's kinda complicated," Raynea stated in a strained voice.

"A bit," Hermione agreed with a chuckle, "I mean, I was pretty surprised when he said…it."

Raynea laughed quietly after hearing Hermione's response. Even _she_ was freaked out by the predicament.

"Believe me, so was I," Raynea declared as her eyes widened, "He's such a git for saying it now, you know?"

"It wasn't really his fault," Hermione pointed out, "He _was _under the influence of Veritaserum when he first admitted it."

Raynea gave Hermione a puzzled look before her jaw dropped slightly.

"You do realize that you just defended Draco Malfoy, right?"

"I know," Hermione said, giggling at the irony, "but I dunno…he's been through an awful lot, and being shot down by you probably didn't help much."

"I didn't shoot him down…did I?" Raynea questioned anxiously.

Hermione gave Raynea a pointed look as she grinned in amusement. It seemed as though the answer was quite obvious.

"But…he's such an ass," Raynea said, putting her head in her hands in frustration.

"No arguments there," Hermione replied, "Though…things are pretty rough for him right now. It was probably really hard for him to turn his back on the Death Eaters. I mean…a fair few of them are his family. Plus, he must be terrified about the consequences of his actions. If they ever found him, he could be killed. Then, he shows up here and it must be hard for him to see you again, and add on the fact that we put him through a ton of interrogations before forcing Veritaserum down his throat, and it makes the whole situation worse. He was forced to admit all his secrets and that's the way you found out about his feelings for you. And now that you've turned him down completely, he's probably feeling horrible about everything."

Raynea stared at Hermione with her mouth agape once the explanation ceased. It was a lot to take in, but she was even more surprised by her friend's insane amounts of insight.

"How did you figure all that out?" Raynea asked with a furrowed brow.

"It's quite obviously, really," Hermione answered before she and Raynea broke out into a fit of laughter. After it subsided, Raynea exhaled deeply and tried to think about what Hermione had said.

"What do you think I should do?" she inquired apprehensively.

"Well…how do you feel about him?"

"I care about him…so much…" Raynea trailed off uncomfortably before clearing her throat, "but I don't trust him…and I can't love him."

"Does any of this have to do with Harry?" Hermione questioned.

"Maybe a little bit..." Raynea admitted quietly, "but it's more than that. I don't trust him… and then he walks in the room, and I get all flustered…and then he smirks, and I just want to punch him in the face…and then he looks at me…like that…and it's just…Draco."

"Maybe it's more complicated than I thought," Hermione stated as she chuckled at her friend's uncertainty, "You need to decide what to do on your own, Raynea. Though, I would suggest trying to talk to Draco…it might make things better."

Raynea nodded in understanding as she got to her feet.

"You're right," she said wearily, "Thank you so much, Hermione."

"Of course," Hermione responded as she smiled warmly and got into bed, "Goodnight."

"'Night."

Raynea stepped out into the hallway and began to ponder what Hermione had said more thoroughly. She hadn't really stopped to consider the circumstances from Draco's point of view. What Hermione said was right. He was probably feeling extremely overwhelmed and alone. Raynea couldn't stand to think about his negative feelings, it hurt _her_ to imagine him in pain. She found that she thought about him even more as she got under the covers of her bed and stared up at the ceiling. Raynea knew that she hadn't shown him any sort of kindness since he arrived at the Burrow, and now that he was going to be living with them, it was only right to treat him like his feelings mattered. His feelings _did_ matter to her, but she was blinded by anger.

Raynea tried to push all of this out of her head for the night and get some rest, but to no avail. She kept obsessing over the events of the past few days. Her latest encounter with Draco played over and over in her head. It was frustrating…and depressing. She knew that she had to make things right, and fast.

***

Draco ripped his shirt off violently before tossing it onto the floor, turning out the lights and plopping down onto his mattress. He was furious. He was stressed. He was simply…overwhelmed. All he wanted to do at that moment was sleep; at least he wouldn't have to think about everything that was bothering him. After squirming around in the bed uncomfortably, Draco flipped onto his stomach and buried his face in his pillow. He found that he wasn't comfortable this way, either. He scowled in annoyance before rolling over onto his back again, and glaring at the ceiling. It looked like he was in for another sleepless night.

Time seemed to be moving rather slowly. Draco felt like he had been laying awake for hours. Though, eventually, his eyes grew heavy. He was starting to dose, and he was thankful for this. He wanted to be at ease, even if it was only for awhile. His thoughts began to mesh together and he would soon be completely unaware of the outside world. Then, Draco felt his arm shake gently and his eyes shot open. He growled in utter frustration before sitting up in his bed and feeling a chill as the blankets fell off of his bare chest. He searched for another figure in the darkness, feeling nervous for only a moment.

"I'm sorry…did I wake you up?"

Draco recognized Raynea's voice instantly and felt his stomach tighten. Considering that she was a major contributor to his distress, he wasn't interested in carrying on a conversation. Not to mention that it was the middle of the night and he was completely exhausted.

"What in the bleeding hell could you possibly want now?" he demanded through gritted teeth.

There was only one reason she could have come to his room at such a late hour that Draco wouldn't be irritated by, but, unfortunately for him, he knew Raynea well enough to know that she came for a different purpose.

"I just wanted to talk to you for a second," she told him.

"_Figures_," Draco thought bitterly. His eyes adjusted to the dark, and he could see Raynea more clearly. She was kneeled down at the side of his bed, and her hands were resting in her lap. Her stance looked so meek to him.

"And you decided that the middle of the night was the best time to have a ruddy conversation?" Draco questioned acidly.

"Well…I couldn't sleep," Raynea admitted, "I felt bad about what happened earlier, and…"

She trailed off for a moment and he saw her eyebrows pull together as she stared at him more closely.

"Why aren't you wearing a shirt?" she asked uncomfortably.

Draco smirked, though he was sure she couldn't see it in the darkness. At least there were some perks to being interrupted just as he was on the threshold of sleep.

"What's the problem? Am I getting you hot or something, McCoy?" he returned arrogantly.

"No…" Raynea stated tensely.

"All right, then," he stated doubtfully as his smirk merely grew.

Yes, this definitely made up for being woken up in the middle of the night.

"Anyway," Raynea began with a more steady tone, "I really wanted to apologize for treating you so badly. You've been through a lot…and I didn't really think about it."

"Please," Draco jeered, "You act like I'm so bloody fragile."

"Still…I'm sorry."

"Don't get all emotional on me, McCoy," he replied roughly, "Just forget about it."

"Okay," Raynea said quietly.

"Anything else?"

"Well, I just want you to understand why I acted the way I did before," she explained.

"Oy," Draco uttered impatiently as he fell back onto his pillow, "This is gonna be good…"

There was a short silence before Raynea went on to give him an explanation.

"I don't trust you," she stated plainly.

"You wankers force fed me Veritaserum so that I'd spill my guts...and you still think I'm a bloody liar?" Draco demanded viciously

"I know you're not lying about all that," Raynea verified, "I just don't trust you enough to love you."

Draco rolled his eyes in irritation as he sat up again and glared at her. She probably couldn't see the anger in his face, but he felt that it was necessary to try and convey it anyway.

"Spectacular," he said sarcastically, "You done now?"

"Almost," she told him.

"Un-bloody-believable," he groaned heatedly.

"I thought…maybe…since we're going to be living in the same house—"

"You call this dump a 'house'?"

"…Are you looking to get kicked in the groin, or are you just that much of an asshole?" Raynea said brutally, all her patience and calmness melting away after his last statement.

Draco smirked at her rage. Making her angry never got old.

"Ooh, that was quite a mood swing. I think I liked you better before."

"Will you shut up, now? I'm trying to have a serious conversation with you."

"Haven't we had enough of those lately?"

"Just listen up," Raynea began, her voice becoming a bit calmer, "I was thinking, since we're going to be living in such close quarters, maybe it would make things easier if we…were…friends…"

Draco felt his face grow hot in frustration as he grinded his teeth. He couldn't believe that she had just made such a suggestion. He wanted to smack her right across the face, but he was sure that, that wouldn't win him any points. Though, his temptation was about to beat his rationale.

"_Friends_?" he repeated in disgust.

"Yeah," Raynea stated, seeming a bit frightened by his harsh tone, "friends."

"You want to be my friend?" Draco inquired suspiciously.

"Well…yes."

"You've got to be kidding me…"

"I'm serious," Raynea said with a hint of annoyance in her voice.

"Well, unless 'friends' shag on a nightly basis, I'm not bloody interested," Draco snapped, crashing down onto his bed and turning his back on her irritably.

He heard her gasp in anger, and he felt some sense of satisfaction from that, but it wasn't enough at the moment. He was beyond furious. He couldn't even begin to comprehend how angry he was. It had reached a maximum level.

"Malfoy…" she growled irately, "Please…"

"Piss off."

"Please," Raynea stated with more conviction, "What's wrong with being friends?"

Draco wanted nothing more than to punch her in the face. How could she ask him that? She knew the answer; she wasn't an idiot. He knew that she wanted to make things right, but to him, being friends wasn't right. It simply wasn't enough for him. A friendship with Raynea just wasn't enough. Though, she had a point. They _would _be living together, and perhaps he could use this friendship suggestion against her later. Seeing the look on her face once he decided to abuse the friendship privilege would definitely be appealing. After a long silence, which Draco spent pondering certain angles of this arrangement, he smirked and turned to face her once again.

"Please…"

"All right, McCoy," he said cockily, "Let's be friends."

"Great," Raynea replied with a small smile

Her smile made some of his rage disappear, but he was still pretty livid

"And, correct me if I'm wrong, but friends don't call other friends by their last names, do they?" Draco pointed out arrogantly as he raised his eyebrows. She was silent for a moment, and he was certain that he had won, "Didn't think so."

"Fine," Raynea answered through gritted teeth, "Friends also don't call each other bitch, bint, whore or slut."

"Fair enough," Draco agreed smoothly with a shrug.

The two merely glared at each other in the darkness for a few seconds before Raynea got to her feet.

"So…I guess I'll get going," she announced.

"All right."

"Goodnight, Mal—"

Draco cleared his throat loudly before flashing her a twisted smile.

"I mean…Goodnight, _Draco_," she corrected in exasperation.

"See you in the morning, Raynea," Draco replied smugly.

She closed the door behind her upon her exit, leaving him alone to think everything over. Draco was quite certain that his stay there would be interesting, to say the least.


	6. Chapter 6

**Author's Note: Thank you so much for reviewing! I appreciate it greatly. So, this update is pretty angst free. There's lots of fluff, actually. Draco and Raynea have some bonding time, which turns out to be interesting...Anyway, just as a warning, after the second set of stars, it starts out in Draco's POV, then switches to Raynea's in the middle, then goes back to Draco...sorry if it's confusing, but it kinda needs to be from both of their points of view. Also, this update is kinda short...sorry about that, too! Moving right along, I really, really hope you enjoy this chapter! Please, please leave a review! Thanks so much!!! :) **

Raynea awoke the next morning with mixed emotions. First off, she was completely exhausted. Perhaps, carrying on a conversation with Draco in the middle of the night wasn't the best idea. Though, she was glad that they were working on finding some common ground. She hoped that their friendship would work out. Things would be so much easier if it did. However, Raynea knew that their feelings for one another would complicate things. She was resolute to be nicer to him, though. He was going through a lot, and he really deserved to have a friend…even if he did act like an asshole sometimes.

After lazing around in bed for awhile, Raynea finally got up and prepared to take a shower. She gathered a few belongings that she would need before heading into the bathroom. While in the hallway, it seemed as though everyone had relocated to the kitchen for breakfast, and Raynea was relieved to have some privacy. It would be nice to take a warm, lengthy shower and wash away all her negative feelings. She undressed and hopped into the tub, instantly relaxed by the feeling of the hot water on her skin. She spent a great deal of time in the shower before turning off the faucet and wringing out her freshly washed hair. Raynea pulled back the curtain and stepped out onto the floor, then wrapped a towel beneath her arms and around her body so that she was completely covered from her chest to her mid thigh. Once she had brushed out her hair, Raynea crossed the hall and entered her room.

As soon as she opened the door, her breathing stopped and her eyes widened in embarrassment. Draco was lounging out on her bed reading one of her books, and turned to face her when he heard the door swing open. Raynea was standing in the threshold with soaking wet hair, wearing nothing but a towel around her. His eyes trailed from her feet, then slowly up to her face and she felt her cheeks grow hot in humiliation. Draco smirked before hopping up to his feet and shoving his hands in his pockets.

"Don't dress on my account," he stated smoothly, "…please."

Raynea looked down at her current condition and scowled as she hid on the other side of the door.

"What are you doing in here?"

Draco's smirk grew as he took a step forward and shrugged.

"Well, what'd you mean?"

"Why are you hanging out in my room?"

"We're friends, remember?" he began smugly, "Friends hang out in each other's rooms, don't they?"

"Not when the other friend is gone…or nearly naked," Raynea told him pointedly.

"My mistake," Draco said arrogantly as he raised his eyebrows.

Raynea stayed hidden behind the door and glared at him piercingly. He wasn't _this _stupid. He knew exactly what he was doing, and he loved every minute of it.

"Can I change, please?"

"Go right ahead," Draco answered, crossing his arms over his chest and staying firm in his place.

Raynea exhaled in frustration before forcing herself to enter the room and pulling him towards the door by the arm.

"I'd prefer to get dressed _alone_, if you wouldn't mind."

"Actually—"

"Get out," Raynea ordered, letting go of Draco once he was in the doorway.

"I have to say, I like this side of you, McCoy," he informed her cockily.

"Out!" she shouted as she pushed him into the hallway and slammed the door shut with vigor.

Raynea breathed heavily once she was alone, though she could hear Draco's dark laughter from the hall.

"_Bastard_," she thought in annoyance as she sorted through her dresser for something to wear.

***

The rest of the day went by fairly smoothly. Draco wasn't quite as irritating as he had been that morning, and Raynea was glad for this. Their rather exposed encounter from earlier in the day had frustrated her, but she decided to forget about it. There was no way that her friendship with Draco would work out if she was going to hold a grudge against him. His first, whole day at the Burrow had gone by better than expected, actually. Yes, he was a complete snob about the condition of the house and the food, but Raynea figured he just needed some time to adjust. He had been raised in a mansion, so he wouldn't automatically be accustomed to living so simply.

However, the following day wasn't quite as easy. Ron, Fred, George, Raynea and Ginny decided to spend the afternoon playing Quidditch in the orchard. Hermione wasn't really a fan of the sport, so she refused their offer, which wasn't surprising. Though, they were now a player short. As Raynea prepared to meet everyone outside, she considered asking Draco if he would be interested in participating in a friendly game. After taking some time to work up the courage to ask him, she approached the door to his room and knocked on it firmly.

"Oy," called out his voice from the other side of the door, "Who the hell is that?"

"Uh…it's me," Raynea replied apprehensively.

There was a short pause, and she was certain he took this time to smirk to himself. Raynea rolled her eyes and waited for his response.

"Who?" he asked, feigning innocence.

"Bloody hell…" she sighed in annoyance before barging into his room.

Upon her entrance, Raynea saw Draco lying across his bed with a rather melancholy expression on his face, despite his former smartass reply. She gazed at him with concern as she strolled over to his bed and inhaled heavily.

"What'd you want?" Draco asked expectantly.

"Well…er…I was wondering if…you'd wanna come play a game of Quidditch with us…" Raynea told him hesitantly, offering him a small smile.

"Who's 'us'?" he questioned impatiently, "If you're talking about Potter's ex, the wonder twins and those other two gits you spend every waking moment with, then I'm not interested."

"What's with you?" she inquired. He was acting oddly harsh, and it seemed as though his mood changed rather rapidly. When she was outside the door, he was acting as he usually did, but once she walked inside, he seemed tenser.

"Nothing," Draco grumbled, "I just don't feel like spending my time with a bunch of people I don't bloody care about."

"Fine," Raynea responded, slightly annoyed by his gruffness, "Sorry I asked."

She turned her back to him and started towards the door, when his voice interrupted her.

"You could stay here, though…if you wanted…" he stated indifferently as he cast his eyes downward.

Raynea slowly twisted back around to face him with a look of shock upon her face. She was taken aback by his suggestion, and wasn't sure if he was simply trying to manipulate her. Raynea considered that he might just be trying to keep her from her friends, but something about his mood made her doubt that. Something was wrong, and he desperately needed company…_her _company. She sighed and treaded over to his bed and merely stood there for a moment. Draco glanced up at her and actually seemed a bit surprised by the fact that she had returned.

"Sure," she said breathlessly, "I'll stay."

He narrowed his eyes suddenly, and sneered.

"Don't act like it's such a bloody chore," Draco snapped, "If you wanna go pal around with those wankers, then fine. Have at it."

Raynea stared at him in exasperation and crossed her arms over her chest. Was he seriously giving her a hard time for doing what he wanted? Draco Malfoy was quite an irritating specimen.

"I'm staying," Raynea told him firmly, gesturing for him to move his legs so that she could sit. Draco's eyes widened in shock as he created some space for her on the bed. Apparently, he wasn't expecting her to get so comfortable.

"If you insist…" he returned cockily. She rolled her eyes yet again before directing them towards his thin figure.

There they were; seated on Draco's bed in a rather awkward fashion. Raynea was careful to keep her distance, so she stayed towards the end of the bed with her knees pulled against her chest. Draco, on the other hand, remained horizontal with his legs resting in front of her. He still seemed to be upset by something, and Raynea was anxious to get him to admit what it was.

"So…did you wanna talk about something?"

"No…" Draco trailed off roughly, "I just didn't feel like being bloody alone…this place is dull as hell."

Raynea grinded her teeth angrily and tried her best to ignore his brutish comments. It proved to be extraordinarily difficult.

"Glad to know you appreciate it," she replied sarcastically.

Draco simply shrugged before a short silence overcame the room. The two didn't lock eyes once during this time, and eventually, Raynea was discomfited by the sharp turn the conversation had taken.

"I know something's bothering you," she stated plainly, looking up to see what his reaction to her comment would be.

Draco rolled his eyes and fixed his gaze towards her. He gave her a look that indicated that she was correct, but he was still desperate to avoid any discussion of his feelings.

"I told you, you knew me," he responded conceitedly as he placed his arms behind his head.

"Well…do you wanna talk about it?"

He sighed in annoyance as he stared up at the ceiling.

"Okay…guess not…" Raynea said uneasily.

There was more silence. She chose to break it again with further questioning.

"You're afraid that they'll find you, aren't you?"

"Please," Draco scoffed, "I'm not afraid."

"…I am," she admitted quietly.

Draco's eyes trailed over to her slowly, and he seemed genuinely stunned by her confession. She kept looking at him, her eyes full of sympathy.

"You're doing it again…" he warned viciously.

"Doing what?"

"Looking at me like I'm a bloody child. You're not dealing with Potter, here. I'm not weak like him," Draco explained brutally.

"Harry's not weak," Raynea shot back furiously.

Draco looked at her in confusion before an expression of realization appeared on his face. He glared and smirked to conceal his rage.

"Right…I forgot…"

"About what?"

"You still have the hots for that git after all of this?"

"I do _not _'have the hots' for Harry," she answered irately.

"Sure…I believe that," Draco said doubtfully.

"He's one of my best friends," Raynea reminded him.

"That doesn't mean anything. You two nearly hooked up in our fifth year when you were 'friends,' so what does that say?" Draco countered arrogantly.

Raynea exhaled in defeat and crossed her arms over her chest. He _did _have a point. She hated that he knew her so well. After awhile, Draco spoke again, but chose to switch to a different topic.

"Have you ever really been with anyone?" he questioned with a look of dark curiosity upon his face.

"What—why're you asking me this?"

"Just answer the question."

"Well…I went to the Yule Ball with a date…and like you said, I almost had a relationship with Harry and—"

"No…" Draco began, smirking at her naivety, "I mean, have you ever _been _with someone?"

Raynea's face turned red and she instantly looked away from him in humiliation. At this, his satisfaction grew along with his smirk. There were several seconds of silence, then he pressed on.

"You haven't, have you?" he inquired mockingly.

"…that's none of your business," she answered shamefully.

"Well, that answer's that question," Draco stated as he raised his eyebrows.

"No…I didn't even tell you anything," Raynea pointed out.

"You didn't have to," he replied smugly.

She narrowed her eyes at him for awhile and just glared, while he continued to stare at her in amusement. After some time had passed, Raynea decided to take over the conversation.

"Alright, then, how many people have you _been _with?"

Draco directed his gaze off to the side as he pondered her question. Abruptly, he began counting off on his fingers, his expression more arrogant than ever. Raynea's jaw dropped in shock as he continued to hold up more fingers, each indicating a specific person. She felt sick as she looked upon him, and, more importantly, she felt jealous.

"Okay…you can stop, now. Just…forget I asked," Raynea said bitterly.

"Feeling a little insecure?" Draco mocked.

"Shut up," she snapped, evading his eyes.

Draco kept his eyes fixed on her face, and suddenly, his expression was one of longing. Raynea was looking straight ahead, rather than at him, and still seemed to be a little ill at ease due to their latest topic of discussion. A few minutes passed before either one of them spoke, and the air around them seemed even tenser. Raynea cleared her throat and slid off of the bed.

"Uh…I should probably tell everyone that I'm not playing," she reasoned.

"Go if you bloody want to," Draco responded harshly, "Like I care."

The look on his face definitely contradicted his last statement. Raynea offered him a grin before putting her hand on the doorknob.

"I'll be back."

His eyes shot over to her and he looked a bit surprised. She gave him an encouraging look as she headed out the door, closing it behind her gently. Draco folded his lips in contentment as he waited for her to return.

***

A few more days passed, and things were going quite well. Despite his dissatisfaction with the living conditions, Draco was okay with staying at the Burrow. Hermione and the Weasleys still drove him crazy, but not as much as they used to. Plus, he was spending an awful lot of time with Raynea, and that made up for everything. Their friendship was seemingly working out, but Draco found that he was simply…unsatisfied. Though, he supposed things had improved since they weren't constantly arguing all the time. They weren't friends in the traditional sense, but they got along sometimes, which was better than nothing. However, there were still a few fights here and there, and there was an inordinate amount of tension between them, but Draco tried his best to ignore it.

One day in particular, while everyone else was downstairs in the living room, he and Raynea decided to stay up in her room and talk a bit. They had steered clear of an argument so far, and actually happened to get on a topic of mutual interest. They began to reminisce about some of the things that had happened during the six years they had stayed at Hogwarts. It was pretty easy for them to recall such memories, and only a few of them caused any anger or discomfort. Though, once they got deeper into the conversation, it became a bit of a contest between the two of them. Ultimately, it came down to who could embarrass who with a more mortifying memory.

"Remember the time Moody turned you into a ferret," Raynea said as she laughed at the sharp expression on Draco's face.

"Bloody bastard…he should've been sacked for that…" he returned bitterly before coming up with something to use against Raynea, "Do you remember when you tripped over the hem of your dress as you walked into the Yule Ball and took out your date? That was good…the look on his face…"

Draco trailed off as he smiled darkly at her past humiliation. Raynea narrowed her eyes at him before grinning good naturedly.

"Who was that bloke, anyway?" he questioned.

"Simon Blackwell…fifth year Ravenclaw," Raynea informed him, chuckling at the thought, "After I tripped, he didn't ask me to dance once."

"Ponce," Draco jeered before he started to smirk again, "Speaking of the Yule Ball, do you remember when I asked you to go with me just to piss you off?"

"Ugh…yes," Raynea answered as she smiled, "I swear, if no one was around, I would've pushed you right down the stairs. I knew you were just trying to get to me."

"Yeah, well it worked," Draco pointed out smugly, then, abruptly, his expression became pensive, "I remember I was actually a little…" he paused for a moment, "…disappointed when you yelled 'no' in my face."

Raynea stared at him softly as the smile faded from her face, and he suddenly became gruff again and cleared his throat.

"But…whatever…it was your ruddy loss."

She forced herself to grin, but couldn't deny some of the sadness she was feeling. After a brief period of quiet, Raynea spoke again.

"I'm glad you're here," she told him in a hushed voice. Draco gazed at her in shock before smirking.

"Of course you bloody are," he replied arrogantly, "Without me, you'd be stuck alone with all those gits."

Raynea exhaled in annoyance at his rude comment. Draco always had to ruin the moment…always…

"They're great people," she said defensively, "I dunno why you hate them so much."

Draco shrugged before glancing at her more closely. They simply looked at each other for a moment, both forgetting their anger. Suddenly, their attention was ripped away from one another as the door swung open. Raynea's eyes widened in excitement as Harry strolled into the room. He was smiling initially, but once his eyes fell upon Draco, he just looked suspicious. Raynea ignored the tension between the two boys before jumping up off the bed and pulling Harry into a tight embrace.

"You're finally here!" she exclaimed kindly as he wrapped his arms around her, "I'm so glad."

Over her shoulder, Harry was glaring violently at Draco, who merely returned the gesture. Draco felt anger burst through him, and the urge to hex Harry into oblivion threatened to take over him. The dark haired boy continued to stare at Draco with a vicious expression, but remained in Raynea's arms. The sight of them made Draco want to hurl, and he was overcome with rage. After awhile, Harry finally replied to Raynea's greeting.

"Yeah…me too…"

He and Draco remained in a deathly staring match, for what felt like hours. Draco was certain of one thing: he simply could not live in the same house as Harry Potter.


	7. Chapter 7

**Author's Note: Thank you so, so much for the reviews! I appreciate them a lot! This chapter is really, really long and covers a lot of emotional material. I'm hoping to crank out chapters really fast these next few days because I start school next week and won't be able to post as frequently after that. One of the convos towards the end of this update might seem confusing in the middle, but it makes sense once you get towards the end of it. I think I clarified things...I hope. Anyway, please, please review! This chapter is kinda important and ties up a few loose ends, so I really would love to have your feedback. Thanks so much!!! :) **

Draco glared down the table as he absentmindedly slammed a helping of potatoes onto his plate. Harry and Raynea were sitting right next to each other at the dinner table, which wasn't much of a surprise. They had been practically inseparable since he arrived that afternoon. This did not sit well with Draco. In fact, he was furious. He spent most of his day by himself so that he wouldn't be subjected to the sight of Harry and Raynea. Draco could hardly admit it to himself, but he felt threatened by Harry's presence. However, he was certain that Harry had the same feeling towards him. They would often have lengthy glaring matches, and it seemed almost as though they were having a silent argument. It was just understood that neither one was comfortable or willing to be around the other.

All throughout dinner, Draco felt his rage go into overdrive. Anytime Harry made Raynea laugh, he wanted to throw up. Anytime, they made eye contact and smiled at each other, he wanted to scream. Anytime the two of them 'accidentally' brushed arms while reaching for food, he wanted to lunge across the table and choke Harry to death. It was very frustrating to deal with, especially since Draco hated the feeling he was experiencing. He was jealous. There was no way to deny it, and no other word to describe it. Draco was jealous of Harry Potter—something that he despised even having to think about.

Once dinner was over, Harry and Raynea headed up to her room to talk for awhile. What a shock. Draco looked after them fiercely as they climbed the stairs with small smiles on their faces. Watching them made him sick. He hated being in love, especially since his sworn enemy was walking off with his girl like it was nothing.

"_Stupid, worthless, pasty, poorly endowed sack of—_"

"Draco, have you finished with your plate?" Mrs. Weasley asked kindly, interrupting his thoughts.

"Yes," he responded roughly as he stood up from the table and stomped out of the room.

***

Harry and Raynea were sprawled out across her bed, both wearing broad grins on their faces. She was so glad that she finally got to see him again. She had missed him quite a bit since they parted at the end of term, and things seemed more in control once he had arrived. However, he quickly ended the state of calm she was feeling, and brought her attention to a serious matter.

"How long has Malfoy been here, exactly?" he questioned with suspicion, breaking a short silence.

Raynea knew that this would come up eventually. She sighed heavily before staring at Harry with an exasperated expression. The conversation had already become irritating, and it barely even got started.

"For about a week," she told him as she shrugged, "He first came here the day we sent you that letter. Do you remember?"

"Yeah…right…" Harry agreed, clearing his throat uncomfortably, "And Hermione sent me another one saying that he…joined our side…"

"Great, so you're all caught up," Raynea answered with a hint of relief in her voice. Since he seemed to know everything, maybe he wouldn't question her any further.

There was a brief period of quiet in which Harry looked extremely ill at ease. Raynea was prepared to switch to another subject, but he spoke before she had a chance.

"…why is he still here?"

"He has nowhere else to go," Raynea said softly, "We couldn't just toss him out."

"Well, we can't just keep him here, either," Harry returned firmly.

"I don't understand," she began with a somewhat angered expression.

"You wouldn't," Harry replied gravely, "You don't know what he's really like…or maybe you just don't remember."

Raynea narrowed her eyes in annoyance as her jaw dropped slightly. Apparently, this discussion had gotten extremely personal without her even realizing it.

"I know him a lot better than you do," she shot back.

"He's been a Death Eater for months, then he shows up here claiming that he's not and you all just believe him?"

"We used Veritaserum," Raynea reminded him coolly, "We wouldn't just let him walk free purely on his word."

"He shouldn't be here," Harry stated sternly, ignoring her rationalization.

"This isn't like you, Harry. I know you hate Malfoy, but you wouldn't let that stop you from trying to help him. You help people who need it…and he needs it."

Harry ripped his eyes away from her, and exhaled in defeat. Raynea knew that she had made a valid point, and he couldn't deny it. Harry was too virtuous to turn his back on anyone, even his worst enemy. There was more uncomfortable silence, and Raynea wasn't quite sure what to say. Nothing could make the situation any easier, but trying to refer to a lighter topic would be improper. However, Harry seemed to have an idea of a matter that needed to be discussed.

"Are you…back with him?"

Raynea's eyes widened before she inhaled slowly. The answer to the question was easy, unlike her relationship with Draco. She had to remind herself that they were simply friends. There was no need to overanalyze their association. It was friendly…sort of…

"No…I'm not," Raynea answered quietly.

"Right…" Harry said uneasily as he folded his lips, "It just looked like you were when I saw you two earlier."

"We're friends…that's it."

"Friends?" Harry repeated with a furrowed brow.

Raynea sighed as she rolled her eyes. Why did everyone react to this idea like it was the strangest thing in the world?

"Yeah…friends," she verified.

He seemed a little relieved by this piece of information, and Raynea had a feeling she knew why. The deeper feelings she and Harry had for one another were undeniable. They were best friends, but there was always something else there. However, Raynea thought she had lost the temptation to act on it. Though, now, things were different.

"And even if I was with him again…why would it matter?" she inquired in a hushed voice. Harry redirected his gaze towards her, and seemed rather weary as he gave her an answer.

"Because you can't trust him."

"Is that all?"

He opened his mouth to speak, when the door swung open, disrupting his response. Draco strutted into the room with a sour expression on his face, which grew even more severe as he gazed upon Harry. For a few seconds, the two boys simply glared at one another, leaving Raynea to feel increasingly awkward. She wasn't sure what to do or say, but Draco shortly filled the silence that overcame the room.

"Am I interrupting something?" he asked coldly, raising his eyebrows.

"Actually, you are," Harry returned sharply, "What're you even doing up here, Malfoy?"

"I live here too now, remember?" Draco reminded him cruelly.

"No…what're you doing _here_?"

Raynea glanced from Harry to Draco with wide eyes. She had a feeling things were bound to get more intense.

"I just wanted to speak to Raynea for a second. That a problem for you, Potter?"

Harry simply glared before turning to Raynea expectantly. Apparently, she was supposed to intervene. She honestly had no idea what to say. Either way, someone would be angry. It was unavoidable.

"Well…er…"

"I need to talk to you," Draco stated abruptly, addressing Raynea for the first time since he entered the room.

"She doesn't have to—"

"I need to talk to _you_," Draco repeated, staring at Raynea closely and cutting off Harry's objections.

"How about you just wait till later, Malfoy?" Harry suggested angrily.

"How about you shut the hell up, Potter?" Draco snapped.

Harry narrowed his eyes in frustration as Raynea continued to look at both boys uncomfortably. She thought of only one, fair solution.

"You both should go," she stated, standing up from her seat on the bed, "I'm tired…"

"Oh, come on, McCoy," Draco began harshly as he rolled his eyes.

"Leave her alone," Harry warned.

"Stay out of this," Draco shot back.

"Both of you…leave…now…please…" Raynea exclaimed, holding her hand to her head in irritation.

Draco offered her an annoyed look as he back up slowly to the door, sneering at Harry before he left. Harry stared after Draco irately, then said goodnight to Raynea, and exited the room. She sighed once they both had vacated the room, but felt her stomach jolt nervously. She definitely had some thinking to do.

***

The following day, Raynea stayed in bed into the late morning. She hadn't slept very soundly considering all the tension in the house, and simply couldn't force herself to get up. Plus, she was desperate to avoid any further conflict. Staying in bed all day would help to keep things calm. Any time she spent with Harry would annoy Draco, and any time she spent with Draco would annoy Harry. Either way, she couldn't win. It was best not to cross either of their paths. However, her plan was ripped to shreds rather quickly. Around noon, Raynea was torn away from the comfort of her own mind as she heard the door open. She closed her eyes in exasperation, then felt the mattress sink under the weight of another person. Raynea cringed fearfully before opening her eyes to see who had joined her.

Draco glared down at her as he sat on the edge of her bed. Out of pure reflex, Raynea sat up in her bed and pulled the covers over her chest to conceal her scantily clad body. She was wearing a nightgown, but that was too personal for Draco to see. She didn't quite understand her rationale, though she definitely abided by it. He smirked at her attempts to cover up as she shied away from him . However, when he addressed her, he sounded a bit agitated.

"What's with you?"

"You're on my bed," Raynea stated pointedly.

"Yeah…and?"

"I'm in my bed…so…you shouldn't be…"

Draco rolled his eyes as he remained in his spot. Now that she voiced her discomfort, there was no way he would move. Raynea inwardly cursed herself for being so forthright.

"It didn't seem to matter yesterday when you were up here with Potter," Draco said bitterly.

"That was different. It was—"

"Yeah, I get it. It was Potter," he grumbled mockingly, "He's different because he's the bloody chosen one and he gets you all hot and bothered."

Raynea narrowed her eyes in revulsion.

"You're disgusting," she informed him.

"I've heard," Draco returned roughly as he shrugged. She looked at him closely and tried to ignore the urge to question him about his mood. Her curiosity won over her reason, as usual.

"Is something wrong?"

"Yeah something's wrong," Draco told her with a harsh tone, "Potter's a filthy git."

"I know you two hate each other," Raynea began reasonably, "but you need to try and work out your differences if you're both going to be living here."

"I don't need to _try_ anything," Draco replied severely.

"Draco…please…"

"No," he said firmly as he offered her a brutal look, "I'm not kissing up to that ponce like the rest of you."

"Draco…" Raynea trailed off in frustration, staring at him with pleading eyes, "As a friend, I'm asking you to please try and get along with Harry."

He merely gazed back at her, grinding his teeth and narrowing his eyes furiously. On the surface, it seemed as though he was purely enraged. Though, Raynea could detect some sadness in his eyes.

"Did you give him the same speech you're giving me?" Draco demanded, ignoring her request.

Raynea cast her eyes downward and sighed. He understood what this meant, and simply grew angrier.

"No?" he said menacingly, "Didn't think so…you'll always side with Potter over me. I shouldn't be surprised."

"I'm not siding with anyone."

"Really? Could've fooled me," Draco countered coldly, "It sure as hell seems like it with the way you bat your bloody eyelashes at him and go all pink in the face as soon as he enters the room."

"You're delusional," Raynea stated irately.

"No, I just have a ruddy clue," he returned fiercely, standing up from the bed.

"I don't understand what I did…"

"I get it. You pal around with me for awhile until that jackass shows up, and then you hang on his every word and forget that I bloody exist," Draco explained wrathfully, "It's great really…you have an excellent little arrangement for yourself."

"You're insane," Raynea shouted accusingly as she got up onto her feet and glared at him.

"Yeah, well you're a bitch," he replied, smirking in satisfaction at his rebuttal.

Raynea crossed her arms over her chest as she stared up at him scornfully. She didn't understand how this had become such a heated argument, and wasn't sure how to bring it to an end. Obviously, Draco was really upset, though he might not have been giving her the direct reason for his anger.

"I don't understand what you want from me," she told him as she shook in irritation. Draco opened his mouth to respond, when the door swung open, and Harry entered the room with a suspicious look on his face. Apparently, their fight was audible from the hallway, and perhaps even other areas of the house.

"What's going on in here?" Harry questioned with a furrowed brow.

"We're just—"

"No one invited you, Potter," Draco sneered as he glanced at Harry viciously, "Why don't you just run along and leave us to our bloody conversation…"

"It sounded more like a fight to me," Harry responded coolly.

"I don't give a damn how it sounds to you," Draco said through gritted teeth.

"Are you okay?" Harry asked as he directed his attention to Raynea.

She tried to reply, but Draco interceded.

"She's fine. So, you can be on your way, now."

"Shut up, Malfoy," Harry snapped, giving Draco a murderous look before redirecting his attention to Raynea, "Is everything okay?"

"Well—"

"We're trying to have a little chat," Draco interrupted violently, "and it doesn't bloody concern you. Get lost, Potter."

"I'm not going anywhere."

"I have no problems making you back off," Draco threatened as he whipped his wand out of his pocket.

"Yeah? I'd like to see you try," Harry returned, pulling his own wand out and aiming it at Draco.

"Guys, stop it!" Raynea shouted frantically.

"Tell him to leave, Raynea," Harry ordered as his eyes flickered over to Draco.

"You're the one who just barged in here like you own the ruddy place," Draco snarled, "Kick his arse outta here, McCoy."

"Leave her alone, Malfoy."

"Shut up, Potter."

"BOTH OF YOU JUST SHUT UP!" Raynea screamed as her face grew red out of pure rage.

Both boys turned and stared at her in shock as she breathed rapidly and glared at each of them.

"GET OUT!"

"You heard her, Potter."

"_BOTH_ OF YOU…GET OUT!"

Harry and Draco lowered their wands slowly before looking at Raynea in fearful surprise. She started to walk forward, which prompted them to head out of the room rather quickly. Raynea approached the threshold, then slammed the door shut vigorously. She crossed over to her bed and collapsed onto it in frustration. Harry and Draco had put her in an awful position, and neither of them seemed to care. It was obvious that they were jealous, though she hated to admit it since it sounded so conceded. Raynea wasn't trying to give herself so much credit. In fact, she thought it was ridiculous that they were acting especially petulant towards one another because of her. It was such a small thing to fight over considering that war was raging all around them. Raynea was certain that they wanted her to make a choice. Though, the idea of having to pick between the two of them was absurd. Raynea was simply friends with both of them, why did she have to pick one over the other? It was just stupid…and it seemed as though this problem was concerning a matter beyond friendship.

"Bloody hell," she cursed aloud as she buried her face in her hands.

***

Later on in the day, Ron came up to Raynea's room to check up on her. She hadn't gotten out of bed all day. She just laid there and stared at the ceiling with a pensive expression on her face. Ron entered the room cautiously, which made Raynea realize that he had heard her screaming earlier. She was embarrassed by her violent reaction, but still considered it to be absolutely necessary.

"Hey…er…are you ever gonna come downstairs?" Ron asked uncomfortably, "Mum's been wondering if you were sick or something."

Raynea sat up slowly and offered him a small smile.

"No…I'm fine," she answered calmly, "Tell her thanks for asking…but I'm okay."

"Are you sure you're all right?" Ron inquired as he sat beside her on the bed, "I mean, I know you're not staying up here cause you're sick."

The two of them laughed quietly as Raynea gazed at Ron with soft eyes.

"I'll be fine," she assured him, "I just need some time away from everyone else..."

"By 'everyone else,' you mean Harry and Malfoy," Ron chuckled.

"Well, yeah," Raynea admitted amusedly.

"That was quite some fight you all had."

"I'm sorry," she said as she winced, humiliated by the fact that everyone else in the house had heard the confrontation, "I didn't mean for you all to hear everything."

"It's okay," Ron told her with a grin, "It sounded like you really gave those two hell."

"Yeah," Raynea agreed as she widened her eyes, "You have no idea…"

"Is there anything that you need?" he questioned suddenly. Raynea knew that Ron really didn't want to get involved, but he was trying to be a good friend. She smiled at him in appreciation before shaking her head.

"No, I don't…I just need some time to think."

"Right," he said kindly, standing up and heading towards the door, "Lemme know if you do."

"I will. Thanks, Ron."

He gave her a nod and grinned, then went out into the hallway, leaving Raynea to her thoughts once again. Her smile faded upon his departure and she collapsed backwards onto her pillow and sighed. Raynea still had a lot to sort through…

***

_Draco laid upon his bed and stared up at the ceiling with narrowed eyes. He was tired, but too angry to sleep. The sun had just set, and everyone would probably be sitting down to dinner. He refused to eat. He refused to be anywhere near Harry. His rage seemed endless, as did his dissatisfaction. Draco was feeling insecure, and he hated it. In the end, he knew Harry would win over him. Raynea's choice was already made, he could sense it. After sighing deeply, Draco closed his eyes in an attempt to fall asleep. Hopefully, that would numb him for awhile so he would have a break from feeling such strong emotions._

_Only a moment passed before Draco heard a knock on the door. He scowled, then addressed his unwelcome visitor._

_"What do you want?"_

_There was no answer, but the door slowly opened instead. Draco rolled his eyes before looking to see who had entered. He was surprised to see Raynea close the door behind her and flatten herself against it carefully. A second passed, then she slowly walked to the middle of the room._

_"What're you doing here?" Draco demanded as he propped himself up. His anger was not forgotten. In fact, he was still overwhelmed by it._

_"I needed to see you," Raynea responded with soft eyes. He furrowed his brow before questioning her further._

_"What for?"_

_"I just…I had to talk to you."_

_"Why?"_

_"I can't leave you in limbo like this…" she began remorsefully, "I haven't been fair to you."_

_"Well, I can't bloody argue there," Draco replied bitterly._

_"I know that you're jealous."_

_"Don't flatter yourself," he said roughly._

_"Stop lying, Draco," Raynea stated with only a hint of emotion in her voice, "I know you…you're jealous."_

_"So what if I am?"_

_She took a step closer so that she was standing right up against his bed. He gazed up at her in confusion and she just smiled._

_"You shouldn't be," Raynea answered quietly._

_Draco swallowed a lump in his throat as his eyes widened._

_"What're you saying?"_

_"I'm saying…" she trailed off for a moment as she eased herself onto the bed and pushed him back onto his pillow gently, "I love you, Draco."_

_"What?" _

_"I love you."_

_Draco felt his heart beat quicken and he licked his lips as he pondered her last statement. _

_"What about Potter?" he questioned angrily._

_"He's not what I want…you are."_

_Draco's stomach jolted as she lowered herself on top of him and kissed his neck lightly. He furrowed his brow as Raynea came back upwards. Her face hovered over his for a moment and she smiled._

_"I love you, Draco."_

_She forcefully pressed her lips onto his and Draco felt his body grow hot. He was simply puzzled at first, then started to go along with her movements. Her hand trailed along his stomach before resting on his chest and he became more vigorous in his pursuit. Draco ran his hands against her back as he pulled her closer._

A loud knock on the door ripped Draco away from his dreams and his eyes shot open as the noise carried into his room. He glanced at his surroundings in confusion before sitting up sluggishly and grimacing. There was a firmer knock on the door.

"Dinner's ready, ya git," exclaimed the voice of Ron from the hallway. Draco heard his retreating footsteps, and narrowed his eyes in annoyance once he knew the other boy was gone. The dream was just getting good, and he was torn away from it for dinner? Draco was furious, though, disappointment was his more prominent emotion. It all seemed so real, but of course it wasn't. It was too good to be real.

"Great bloody timing, Weasley," Draco sneered to the empty room around him as he turned onto his side and attempted to return to his dreamland.

***

It was the middle of the night, and Raynea simply laid there with her eyes wide open. She couldn't sleep. There was too much on her mind. She figured she was rather restless, also. She hadn't left her room all day, so Raynea was desperate to move around a bit. After a moment, she got to her feet and headed out into the hallway and down the stairs. Everyone would be asleep, so there was no danger of having an unwanted confrontation. Raynea entered the living room once she had descended the stairs, and immediately turned on a light. It wasn't especially bright, and she figured it wouldn't awaken anyone. She simply paced the room for a few moments in an effort to stretch out her legs. It was actually quite relaxing to be alone and to be doing something else besides thinking. Walking around distracted her a little. Now, she had another thing to focus on besides her thoughts.

Raynea approached the fireplace and stopped to stare at it for a moment before whipping back around to continue her laps across the living room. She let out a yelp as she saw that she wasn't alone. Harry had just made his way downstairs, and gazed at her closely. She plainly froze and glanced back at him for a minute or two. Finally, Raynea regained the ability to breathe and addressed him.

"What're you doing down here so late?"

"I was gonna ask you the same thing," Harry replied amusedly. Raynea smiled, then took a seat on the couch. After a second, he did the same. The tension in the air was unsettling, and Raynea longed to make things more normal.

"I couldn't sleep," she told him briefly before switching to a different subject, "And…I just wanted to apologize—"

"No, Raynea," he interrupted, "You don't have to."

"Yes, I do," she insisted shamefully, "I shouldn't have screamed at you like that. I kinda lost it for a second, and I shouldn't have…so, I'm really sorry."

"Don't worry about it," Harry responded with a smile, "I should've just kept my mouth shut. I didn't mean to put so much pressure on you."

"It's okay," Raynea assured him, "You're totally stressed out. With everything that's coming up, I don't blame you for being tense."

"Yeah," he agreed quietly, "but this wasn't just about me being stressed out…there's more to it."

"I know," she said in a hushed voice, "I guess…I should…explain things."

Harry stared at her with an expectant expression as she took a deep breath. There was no way this conversation was going to be easy.

"We're friends…and I'm glad we're friends," Raynea began cautiously, "but we both know that there's more than just friendship here."

Harry just continued to look at her, but she could see in his eyes that he understood her perfectly.

"In fact, there will probably always be something here besides friendship," she continued with strain, "I won't lie to you, when I saw you again, all those feelings hit me…hard."

Harry laughed softly and fixed his eyes on her with more intensity.

"I think I understand what you mean," he stated, indicating that he had the same experience.

"And this…thing…between us seems like it'd be easy," Raynea said, "but it's not. It's just…not."

"I know."

"There's other things to consider…"

There was a short silence before Harry broke it abruptly.

"Raynea, I feel like I have to tell you something…"

"What is it?" she questioned as a knot formed in her stomach.

"All the things you said before were true," he answered, "but…I realized…I want to make things right with Ginny."

Raynea felt a hint of relief flow through her and she sighed happily. It was a little hard to hear him admit this, but at the same time, it was good.

"I'm so glad to hear you say that," she told him with a grin.

Suddenly, Harry seemed slightly troubled and Raynea furrowed her brow in confusion.

"Do you…er…do you wanna make things right with Malfoy?"

She felt the knot in her stomach return as she opened her mouth in understanding. So, Harry wanted to be with Ginny, but he was still jealous of Draco?

"Not…exactly," Raynea admitted after some time had passed, "I mean…I want to be there for him…but…"

She trailed off for awhile to collect her thoughts. She wanted to give Harry full disclosure. It was time to get everything out in the open.

"…he says he loves me…"

"What?" Harry demanded with wide eyes.

"I know how it sounds," Raynea returned with weary amusement in her tone, "…but it's true. And…I don't feel the same way."

Harry seemed a little more relaxed as she continued to explain things. Raynea was still puzzled by his actions and reactions, however. She was far from being at ease.

"You don't—?"

"I _do_ care about him," she verified before Harry could formally ask his question, "I still have feelings for him…"

"Then…don't you wanna…er…be with him?"

"No," Raynea replied, "I don't trust him, and I can't love him…so…no."

Harry appeared to be thoroughly confused by her explanation. He shook his head rapidly before trying to explain things about his own situation to see if he could make some sort of comparison.

"I still don't like the idea of you two together," he informed her.

"You don't have to worry about it. It's not gonna happen," she said with a hint of remorse in her voice

"So…does that mean…we…"

"No," Raynea interrupted before he could finish his thought. Harry looked both mystified and hurt as he glanced at her. She exhaled, then tried to make things clear, "I'm not choosing him over you, Harry…but…I'm not choosing you over him, either."

"So, you don't want to be with either of us?"

"No," she said quietly as she smiled, "And you know you wanna be with Ginny…that's good. I mean, I will always be a little jealous of her…"

"And I'll always be jealous of Malfoy," Harry confessed.

"Right," Raynea agreed, "but all we want out of this relationship is friendship."

"Yeah," he stated with a grin.

"I know things will be weird between us…but at least we understand what we want."

"Right."

The two smiled at one another for a few minutes as they took in all these new developments. It was a strange set of circumstances, but at least there was some understanding now. There was nothing more to hide. They were friends, and they would only be friends. Raynea felt a warm, relieved feeling rush through her as she gazed upon her best friend. She just needed to get one more thing off her chest.

"I will always love you, Harry."

He seemed a bit taken aback before his grin grew brighter.

"Same here, Raynea."

She leaned forward and kissed him on the cheek as he pulled her into a tight embrace.

***

Draco heard muted voices as he traveled down the stairs of the Burrow. It was the middle of the night, and he couldn't imagine who would be up at such a late hour. He made his way towards the living room and felt his chest tighten angrily as he took a quick look at Harry and Raynea. He ducked behind the wall and flattened himself against it so that he was concealed and listened to their exchange. It seemed as though he had come at the end of the conversation, but he was still interested to see what it was that they were discussing.

"_I know things will be weird between us…but at least we understand what we want._"

"_Right."_

There was a pause, and Draco took this time to peer around the corner carefully. He was still able to avoid being seen, but as he lay his eyes upon them again, more rage channeled through him. The two were simply smiling at each other for the longest time before someone spoke. At this, Draco flattened himself against the wall once again and just listened.

"_I will always love you, Harry._"

He felt his stomach drop uneasily and it seemed like his heart was being ripped out of his chest. Draco breathed heavily as he tried to comprehend what Raynea had just said. He was hurting all over, though the worst pain was in his chest.

"_Same here, Raynea_."

Draco looked into the room again, and was put through even more torture as he saw Raynea kiss Harry on the cheek before they hugged closely. Suddenly, his heartbreak was replaced with rage and he grimaced as he pressed himself against the wall once more.

"That bitch."


	8. Chapter 8

**Author's Note: Thank you so much for the reviews!! They're so great! This is kinda a short update, but it needed to be isolated from some of the other stuff that happens. Just thought I'd say that the discussion in this chapter is way intense. Basically, Draco is completely fed up and he just kinda goes loco on Raynea. He repeats himself a lot, which I did on purpose to show his hysteric anger. So, I just thought I'd warn you about the repetition so you know that it was intentional. Also, there is extremely, extremely subtle mentioning of Ron/Hermione in this chapter, but I'm curious to see if you pick up on it. I'm not sure how I feel about this chapter exactly...I dunno...I had another version of it that I wrote out, but I think this one suits the story better. Anyway, I really hope you like it! I will totally rewrite it if you want cause I'm sorta unsure about it. Please leave a review and lemme know what you think. Thanks so much!!! :) **

The next morning at breakfast, Raynea felt extremely relieved. Things with Harry were taken care of, finally. She was so glad that he understood her point of view, and was even more excited by the fact that he wasn't hurt. Causing Harry pain would simply kill her. She couldn't do it. The same thing was true of Draco. She didn't want to hurt him, but she had a feeling he wouldn't be quite as rational when she told him what was going on in her head. She knew she had to talk to him, though. There was no other option. Raynea had planned to catch his attention after breakfast, but these hopes were dashed when she saw that he hadn't come downstairs. Draco was absent all throughout breakfast actually, which was odd. Raynea was greatly anticipating his arrival, and found that she was disappointed when he hadn't shown up. She had to clear the air as fast as humanly possible before things could get any worse.

Once the meal had ended, Raynea went up to Draco's room to see that the door was still shut. She figured he was asleep, and decided not to bother him. Instead, she took a quick shower and prepared for the day. It was around noon before she finally finished her routine, and Draco still hadn't emerged from his room. Raynea was puzzled by this, but, more importantly, she was concerned. It wasn't like Draco to keep to his room all day. Even if he was trying to stay away from everyone else, he would at least come downstairs for meals. The whole thing was strange.

Another hour passed, and Raynea couldn't take the suspense any longer. She approached the door to Draco's room and knocked on it carefully. About a minute went by before she heard the knob twist and the door swung open. Draco was still in sleep wear, which for him, only consisted of pants, and he looked utterly worn out. His eyes were heavy and he had a pained expression on his face initially. Though, once he saw Raynea, his face contorted into a violent grimace. Raynea furrowed her brow and took a step forward.

"Hey…are you—"

At this, Draco slammed the door in her face with vigor. Her eyes widened in both shock and confusion as she took a few steps back and treaded into her own room. Raynea took a seat on her bed slowly and continued to ponder the events of the last few minutes. What had she done to make Draco so angry? Obviously, he hadn't slammed the door in her face for no reason. Something happened, but she wasn't quite sure what. She hadn't even really spoken to him in the last day, so there was no opportunity for her to piss him off. Raynea was plainly mystified…as well as upset. She wanted to question him about his behavior, but decided against it. He was in need of some time to himself…or maybe just time away from her. Raynea closed her eyes painfully and bit her lip. She had to leave him alone. That was obviously what he wanted. For once, her reason won over her curiosity.

***

Raynea spent the remainder of the day with Hermione while everyone else decided to go out and play Quidditch. The two girls agreed to help Mrs. Weasley out a bit and clean a few of the upstairs bedrooms. They were slowly trying to make the house spotless, since Bill and Fleur's wedding was coming up. Mrs. Weasley wanted everything to be perfect for the arrival of relatives and the happy couple, of course. As Hermione and Raynea sorted through some of the mess in Fred and George's room, Raynea found that she couldn't focus. She had been thinking about Draco nonstop since the morning. The whole situation simply troubled her. Raynea tried her best to ignore it, but she couldn't. So many questions were raised in her mind, as well as concerns. Midway through the cleaning process, Raynea just stopped. She was so deep in thought that she couldn't even force herself to do anything else. All she could do was muse about the same thing over and over again. Hermione eventually noticed her friend's discomfort, and gave her a knowing smile.

"Raynea…are you all right?"

Raynea didn't reply, but merely stood there. What she wasn't aware of was that she was standing in a pile of the twins' dirty laundry. Hermione giggled and attempted to catch her attention once again.

"You do realize where you're standing, don't you?"

There was still no response.

"Raynea….Raynea!"

Raynea was finally reached and she flinched unexpectedly as she turned her head. After a moment, she looked down at the pile of clothes she was surrounded by and gagged. Hermione continued to laugh as Raynea backed away clumsily and fell backwards onto George's bed. She looked up at Hermione shamefully before offering her friend a grin.

"Sorry…I spaced out for a second."  
"It was longer than a second," Hermione informed her good naturedly, "Are you feeling okay?"

Raynea sighed heavily as she arranged herself on the bed so that she was more comfortable. She just sat there pensively for a minute before Hermione took a seat beside her. Raynea forced a smile.

"I'm fine," she assured her, "I'm just…tired or something."

Raynea needed to rant, but she wasn't going to make Hermione listen to it. She had already vented her frustration once before, and there was no need for her to ask her friend to be subjected to it again. Raynea didn't want to talk about Draco to Hermione all the time, especially considering that Hermione hated him.

"Are you sure?"

"Yeah…" Raynea answered, trying her best to sound convincing. Unfortunately for her, Hermione was exceedingly perceptive.

"You don't sound so sure," she responded with a smile, "Is this about Harry and Draco? I sort of…uh…heard a bit of the problem yesterday."

Raynea looked up at the ceiling in embarrassment and inhaled. Apparently, she was even louder than she remembered.

"Everything's okay…with Harry," Raynea admitted, "Draco on the other hand…"

"What did you say to him?"

Raynea felt less guilty about explaining the circumstances once she was certain that Hermione had a genuine interest. She knew that her friend wouldn't ask unless she wanted to know, so Raynea felt a bit of alleviation.

"I haven't said anything to him…that's the thing…" Raynea told her uneasily, "I tried to talk to him earlier and he…slammed the door in my face. I didn't even do anything to him…"

Hermione seemed as though she wanted to say something, but bit her lip to stop herself from going any further. Raynea furrowed her brow before giving her friend a serious look.

"Hermione?"

She simply shook her head and smiled. Raynea was even more confused by this reaction.

"Did you wanna say something?"

"No…well…no…"

"Sounds more like a 'yes' to me," Raynea pointed out amusedly, "What's on your mind?"

"It's not my place to say."

"You're my best friend. You're allowed to tell me what you think."

"I don't wanna get into it, Raynea," Hermione told her firmly, "Though, I do want to give you some advice…talk to Draco as soon as you can. Don't push him, but don't break communication, either. It doesn't work…trust me…"

Raynea folded her lips in understanding. Hermione was handling this situation emotionally because she had her own relationship problems, and she was trying to shield Raynea from experiencing them herself. Hermione had some knowledge in dealing with such issues, and she didn't want Raynea to go through any more pain than she already had. This explained why Hermione was always so objective rather than siding with Raynea instantly. She was trying to protect her from potential heartbreak. Though, at this point, it seemed like Draco was the one going through the most turmoil.

"Thanks, Hermione," Raynea said with a smile. She was sure that Hermione knew that she had picked up on the deeper meaning of the conversation.

"Anytime."

***

The rest of the day went by, and Raynea still hadn't spoken to Draco. She was too afraid to approach him, actually. There was no way to find out what kind of a mood he was in, and Raynea wasn't interesting in finding out. That night as she lay in bed in an attempt to sleep, she couldn't stop thinking about him. What had she done to hurt him so badly? What could she do to fix it? Would he ever forgive her? The last question caused Raynea the most pain. She couldn't leave Draco to be upset all alone like this. Whatever she had done, she wanted to fix it.

The following day, Raynea awoke especially late, for she wasn't able to sleep with Draco on her mind so much. She went about her day as usual at first. She had lunch with Harry, Ron and Hermione, then decided to take a break from cleaning and hang out in the orchard with everyone. It was seemingly a very pleasant day. However, her thoughts still plagued her.

"_Get outta my head, Draco_," Raynea mused bitterly as she sat in the cool grass.

She was starting to grow extremely frustrated with him, and she hadn't even really spoken to him in three days. Dinner went by well enough, also. Everything and everyone else seemed perfectly fine. Though, Raynea was still miserable. She decided to forget her anger and fear, and go to Draco directly after dinner. She rather face him than be stuck thinking about him all day and night. Once the meal had ended and everything was cleaned up, Raynea marched up the stairs and headed straight to Draco's room. She stood outside the door for a second, unsure of what course of action to take. If she went in angry, nothing would be solved. If she went in immediately apologetic, Draco would grow annoyed. She decided the best plan was to act completely calm, like everything was fine between them. After taking another moment to psyche herself into it, Raynea barged into the room without knocking. Upon her entrance, she saw Draco lounged across his bed, still shirtless and still looking noticeably worn. She sighed heavily before slowly treading towards the bed and smiling brightly.

"Hey," Raynea greeted kindly, "Uh…how…are…you?"

"I didn't say you could come in," Draco responded coolly.

"Sorry…I just figured you wouldn't answer if I knocked on the door," she reasoned serenely.

"No, probably not," Draco agreed unemotionally. He hadn't looked at her once since she entered the room. Raynea was even more concerned by this, but tried her best to stay composed.

"Do you want anything to eat? You haven't been down for dinner in a few days."

"I get food while you all are asleep," Draco told her, "That way, I don't have to lay eyes on you wankers."

Raynea inhaled sharply, but remained calm. She wouldn't let herself get irritated. She had to resolve their issues rationally.

"Okay," she stated as she swallowed a lump in her throat, "Is there any—"

"No," he interrupted roughly, "There's nothing you can give me that you're willing to offer. So, you can run along now."

Raynea furrowed her brow before questioning him about his last statement.

"I don't understand…"

"You're not that dense, Raynea," Draco exclaimed harshly, "You know why I'm bloody upset, and you know that there's nothing you can do about it. Just piss off."

She racked her brain to figure out what she had done to spark so much anger in him, but she honestly couldn't think of anything. Was he mad because she screamed at him the other day? She had screamed at Harry, too, so that didn't really make sense. Raynea so desperately wanted to fix everything, but she didn't know what she was supposed to be fixing.

"What did I do? I don't know what I did," Raynea said frantically.

Draco slid off his bed and glared down at her piercingly as he took a few steps forward. They were only inches apart as he began his explanation.

"Why could you say it to him, and not me?" he demanded brutally.

"Say what? What're you—"

Raynea cut herself off as her eyes widened in realization. He had heard some of her conversation with Harry from a few nights ago. Though, he must've not heard the entire exchange.

"Glad to know that Potter doesn't have to do anything to win your bloody affection, while I run from ruddy Death Eaters just to be with you!" Draco shouted. He was turning red in the face. He was livid, more so than Raynea had ever seen before.

"That's not the only reason you left them," she reminded him calmly.

"It was still apart of it," he shot back rudely, "But, I guess that doesn't mean anything."

"It_ does_ mean something," Raynea insisted with pleading eyes.

"No, Potter means something to you," Draco spat, "That's just obvious. You two are in love with each other, so now you can save the world and spread joy to everyone while you two make googly eyes at each other for all eternity."

"I'm not in love with Harry," Raynea informed him. There was a hint of hysteria in her voice, but she tried her best to conceal it.

"I heard you, you dumb whore," Draco snapped brutally, "I heard you say it. I'm not a ruddy moron."

"You misunderstood me."

"How do you misunderstand 'I will always love you, Harry'?" Draco demanded pointedly, "Merlin, you two make me sick."

"I meant that I love him as a friend," Raynea corrected desperately, "I will always love him because he's one of my best friends."

"Yeah, right," Draco yelled sarcastically.

"I'm serious. Harry and I were talking about how we felt about each other, and he said he wanted to be with Ginny. And, you know what? I was glad, because I _don't _want to be with him," Raynea explained in a raised voice.

"That's not the frigging point," he replied cruelly, "Why can you say it to him and not me?"

"Because it's what I feel towards him."

Draco narrowed his eyes as his skin turned an even darker shade of red.

"Great…that's just spectacular," he exclaimed acidly, "I'm so glad to know that you love Potter, because it wasn't obvious before."

"I'm sorry," Raynea screamed, her emotions finally entering her tone, "I'm really sorry, okay? But it's the truth. I don't know what to do…I don't know what you want from me."

"You know what I want," Draco snarled as he stepped even closer to her.

"Stop it, Draco," Raynea warned, "You can't talk like that. We're _friends_."

"Please," he scoffed brutally, "We're _not _friends. We'll never be friends, no matter how hard you bloody try."

She inhaled unsteadily and simply stared at him as he caught his breath. Then, Raynea lowered her eyes sadly, trying to take in what he was saying. Draco glared at her with more intensity as he continued on.

"You're a real bitch, you know that? I tell you I'm in love with you, and you ask to be my friend? What the hell is wrong with you?"

"I dunno…" Raynea said as tears came to her eyes, "I'm sorry…I didn't know what else to do."

"Don't cry to me," Draco shouted menacingly, "Go cry somewhere else, but don't you dare cry in front of me."

"Maybe I wouldn't cry if you weren't such a bastard."

"Maybe I wouldn't be a bastard if you didn't drive me so crazy."

"Well, if you stayed away from me like I've asked you to about a million times since we were eleven, this never would've happened."

"Well, if you hadn't snogged me at the Christmas party last year, this _wouldn't _have happened."

"You kissed me first, jackass."

"Yeah, well you went along with it. What was I supposed to do? Push you away?"

"Yes."

"Well, I didn't want to."

"You can't always get what you want, Draco."

"That's where you're mistaken. I got you last year, didn't I?"

"You never really had me. There was no trust, so there was no relationship."

"That's such bullshit. You care about me, Raynea. I know you do. I know you."

"Yeah, I do care about you. I'm not denying that."

"So, you're admitting it."

"What?"

"You love me."

"No, I don't. I have feelings for you…I really do, but it's not love and it never will be."

"Please…" Draco jeered.

"It's true."

"There's something between us besides plain 'feelings'," he argued irritably.

"For you…not me," Raynea countered as she continued to withhold tears.

"You are such a bitch," Draco bellowed, running his hands through his hair hysterically. He was so angry; it was quite terrifying for Raynea, "I can't take this anymore."

"Neither can I."

"You need to shut the hell up," he threatened before walking right up to her so that their faces were nearly touching, "You have no reason to be angry, here."

"I don't?" Raynea shouted with wide eyes, "How about the fact that you and Harry kept pulling me in different directions to choose between the two of you? That's no reason to be angry? Do you really wanna know my choice? I don't wanna be with either of you!"

Draco's expression sharpened as he looked down at her with disdain. He grinded his teeth and looked as though he was ready to hit her.

"That's great to bloody know," he exclaimed ferociously, "Dammit! You are just such a _bitch_."

Raynea sucked in her cheeks and brought her hand forward to slap him across the face, but he instantly caught her wrist and gripped it firmly.

"Don't you get any ideas, McCoy," he warned as he kept a tight grasp on her arm.

"Let go of me," Raynea commanded through gritted teeth.

Draco grimaced before throwing her arm down by her side and backing up a step.

"Get out," he spat.

"What?"

"I'm done with you. I'm done talking to you. I'm done trying to get through your thick head…I'm done with it."

Raynea felt herself go weak in the knees as she became lightheaded.

"What?"

"You heard me," he sneered as he advanced her, causing her to back up towards the door, "I'm done. I'm out. I'm throwing in the bleeding towel. You are the most dense, irritating, stubborn, _amazing_ girl I've ever met and I _hate _that I love you. Get out, now!"

Draco continued to walk forward until Raynea had backed up into the hallway. He glared at her one final time before slamming the door in her face. She just stood there for awhile, unable to do anything else. Tears covered her eyes and her jaw dropped slightly as she swayed in her spot. After another moment, Raynea trudged into her bedroom, closing the door softly behind her.


	9. Chapter 9

**Author's Note: Thank you so much for the reviews! They're awesome. I'm hoping that Raynea is less annoying in this chapter. I know that she was pretty bitchy in the last few, but she should be better in this. This update is way long...my longest ever, including the ones from Just A Distraction. It's mostly fluff, though, which is hopefully a good thing. I don't wanna give anything else away, so I'll leave you here. Please, please leave a review!! Thanks so much!!! :) **

About a month passed, and by this time it was mid August. Life at the Burrow had become complete chaos, especially as everyone started to prepare for Bill and Fleur's wedding. The couple had yet to arrive, as did the hordes of extended family members that would be staying at the house for the occasion. All of the children, excluding Draco, had been doing their best to help Mr. and Mrs. Weasley prepare for the company. They spent most of their time cleaning the house, tending to the garden, and working out sleeping arrangements. Since so many people would be squished into such a tiny space, they would all have to grow accustomed to sharing rooms.

However, this wasn't a huge problem yet. Fixing up the house was the biggest matter of concern. Raynea actually liked working all the time, though. She found it relaxing—and distracting. In all the time that had passed, she hadn't spoken to Draco. Not even once. It was like he wasn't even living there. He would sporadically show up for meals, but never said anything. Other than that, he usually kept to his room or wandered around by himself. She wondered why he didn't just leave. He really had no reason to stay there since he was so isolated from everyone, but then she remembered that he literally had nowhere else to go. He was still under their protection, even if it didn't seem like it.

Raynea hated the way things had turned out. She still cared about Draco, even though she didn't love him. She felt horrible for continuing to treat him so poorly when she vowed to herself that she wouldn't. She did try to be his friend, though she understood the stupidity in that plan later on. Draco was right. They weren't friends, and they never could be. There was really no point in trying to force it. However, Raynea missed him more and more everyday. She rarely ever saw him and since they didn't speak, it was like they didn't even have a connection anymore. It was hard to deal with, but Raynea tried her best to stay distracted. Helping out the Weasley's proved to be helpful in attaining that goal. She was busy constantly, and greatly anticipated the arrival of family members. Besides the immediate family, Raynea hadn't ever met any of the other Weasley's, and she was eager to see what they were like.

She would find out soon enough, for they were set to arrive in the next few days. The wedding was in a little over a week, and as it came closer, things grew more hectic. As far as the sleeping arrangements went, things looked complicated. Hermione, Raynea and Ginny had to take the time to plan out where everyone would stay. They would have to make a lot of space for relatives. A lot of people would have to share rooms, which was unfortunate. The three girls already decided that they would bunk together. They supposed Fleur could stay with them, too, once she showed up. The twins would be able to keep their room, but would eventually have to share with a few of their cousins. The aunts and uncles could move into the rooms that were made vacant once Hermione and Raynea moved into Ginny's room, and a few could even stay downstairs in the living room. However, they still needed more places to put people.

"Well, Harry and Ron are already sharing a room," Hermione stated reasonably as she, Raynea and Ginny sat around the kitchen table plotting, "…so that doesn't help any."

"You and I gave up our rooms," Raynea pointed out, biting her lip as she gave the situation more thought, "but we still don't have enough space."

"Unless the three of us move into the shed, there's no other room we could give up," Ginny said in frustration.

"Actually, there is," Hermione chimed in.

Both Raynea and Ginny shot her puzzled looks before she cleared her throat and supplied an answer.

"If Draco moves into Ron's room, then that would leave just enough space for the rest of the cousins," Hermione explained with a hint of strain in her voice. She was quite aware that Draco was a sore subject, especially when Raynea was involved in the conversation.

"Do you really think he'd be willing to do that?" Ginny questioned doubtfully.

"Well…er…he's a guest here, himself…so he doesn't exactly have a choice, does he?" Hermione rationalized.

"Not really," Raynea agreed quietly. She hated that fact that Draco's name was even brought up. Talking about him was just…painful, and she knew that the entire situation was her fault. She wasn't going to deny it.

"I guess we'll have to ask him to move out, then," Hermione said uneasily.

"That's not going to go over very well," Raynea warned with wide eyes.

"Definitely not," Ginny agreed.

"He'll still have to do it, though," Hermione replied resolutely, "That's our last option."

The other two girls nodded in agreement, and Raynea kept her eyes cast downwards pensively. She hadn't really given Draco much thought that particular day. On a day to day basis, she thought about him almost constantly, but she had actually gotten a break from it so far that morning. Now, he was simply on the forefront of her mind as usual.

"So, everything's in order now," Hermione announced with a satisfied smile.

"Well…actually…I have to tell you two something," Ginny said suddenly, wincing at the thought.

Hermione and Raynea exchanged looks before turning to Ginny slowly.

"It might sound a little strange," she began cautiously, "but…Fleur wants us to be her bridesmaids…all_ three_ of us."

Raynea's jaw dropped as she furrowed her brow. Was she serious? It was a nice idea, but why would Fleur want her and Hermione to be her bridesmaids? It made sense for Ginny to be one, but why them? Raynea shuddered at the thought of having to walk down the aisle in front of all those people. There was no doubt in her mind that she would trip, it was simply bound to happen.

"Are you sure?" Hermione inquired disbelievingly.

"That's what Bill told mum," Ginny verified, "She wants to get to know all of us. Since we're important to Bill and the family, we're important to her."

"But…but…" Raynea trailed off, racking her brain for an objection. It truly was sweet of Fleur to want to be involved, but Raynea just couldn't see herself as a bridesmaid.

"She already has dresses picked out and everything," Ginny continued, "And her sister, Gabrielle, is gonna be one, too."

"Is she sure she really wants me to be a bridesmaid?" Raynea asked as she chuckled anxiously, "I mean, everyone saw me at the Yule Ball…I made a complete arse of myself."

"You'll be fine, Rayne," Hermione assured her with a grin, "All you have to do is walk in a straight line."

Raynea gulped and stared ahead with a look of dread upon her face. Hermione was being too optimistic for her taste.

"You'll be fine," Hermione repeated.

"_Not bloody likely_," Raynea thought wearily.

***

The night before everyone was set to arrive, Draco was informed that he was being kicked out of his room. When made aware of this, he was furious. He had hardly any notice, and he was even more annoyed by the fact that he'd have to share a room with Harry and Ron. They could all barely stand to be around each other, what were the chances that they would be able to share a room without killing one another? Draco reluctantly headed up to Ron's bedroom in the attic later in the evening. He imagined what it would be like once all these unfamiliar people started showing up to the house. He hated being there as it was, but having to deal with all these other hindrances was unbearable. Draco wasn't interested in being surrounded by anymore people, and he certainly had no desire to attend the wedding. Though, there was really no way out of it since it was taking place on the lawn. He would make an appearance, one way or the other.

Draco finally reached Ron's room and entered without knocking. Harry and Ron were already inside, each lounging in their own space. Harry had a cot set up, and Ron's bed was on the opposite side of the room. Draco's eyes fell upon another cot that was shoved into the corner of the room, far away from the other two boys. He rolled his eyes before trudging over to his designated space, and sitting down. Both Harry and Ron eyed him as he moved, each of them shooting him dirty looks.

"Please," Draco jeered, "Like this is so horrible for you two. I'm the one stuck in here with you gits."

"Actually, we're the ones stuck in here with _you_," Ron countered bitterly.

"Whatever," Draco grumbled as he laid back onto his cot, "You won't even bloody notice me."

"Let's hope," Harry chimed in coldly.

Draco sneered and turned his back to the two of them. He closed his eyes and attempted to forget about these awful circumstances. He preferred being trapped in a room with his former enemies to being captured and tortured by Death Eaters. He stayed there only because he had no other choice. A few minutes went by, and the room was silent. Harry and Ron seemed to be distracted by other things, and didn't start any sort of conversation. Draco was just fine with this. He needed some quiet so he could try to sleep off his irritation. However, this was shortly interrupted. Draco heard the door open, which was then followed by the sound of footsteps.

"Hey guys."

Draco's eyes shot open. He knew that voice anywhere.

"Oh, hey, Raynea."

At the sound of Ron's reply, Draco involuntarily sat up in his bed and turned towards the doorway. Raynea was standing there, her gaze fixed straight ahead. He stared at her, though it was painful. He just couldn't look away. Raynea's eyes flickered over to him for a moment, then she seemed to grow uneasy. She cleared her throat and shied back towards the hallway.

"What's going on?" Harry questioned curiously.

"Uh…it's nothing…never mind," she replied, keeping her eyes aimed at the floor.

"Did you wanna come in?" Ron inquired.

"No…uh…I was just—bye."

After that, Raynea scurried into the hall, leaving Harry and Ron completely confused. Draco remained upright for a couple minutes, a discomforted expression gracing his face. He hadn't taken the time to really look at Raynea in the last month. He didn't want to look at her…well, he did, but it was easier not to. Over the past few weeks, Draco had only glanced at her from time to time, and hadn't even spoken a word to her. However, he thought about her every single day. It was hard not to when she was in such a close proximity. He meant every word he said. He _was_ done with her…sort of…

It appeared as though Draco had completely given up on her, but in his heart, he really hadn't. He still loved her in spite of everything. However, he wouldn't let her continue to beat him emotionally. He was sick of being dragged along for the ride. He had to take control of the situation. Being away from her was made things easier…and also more difficult. It was a confusing set of circumstances, but Draco just wanted distance. If she didn't love him, then she wouldn't get the chance to be near him. In his eyes, it was only fair.

***

The next day, the house was in complete uproar. Raynea never knew that so many people could even fit into the Burrow at once. There were relatives everywhere. It was hard to find any place to get even a moment of quiet. Most of the family congregated downstairs, but a few simply stayed in their rooms and unpacked. The only possible place of refuge was in Ron's room, if only Draco wasn't there. Raynea considered going up there many times, just so she could lie down for a minute, but anytime she recalled that Draco was hauled up there, she immediately disregarded the notion. She rather nurse a splitting headache in a loud, crowded space, than spend any time alone with Draco. She preferred physical pain to the painfully awkward tension that they shared.

Harry and Hermione had the same feelings that Raynea did, when it came to the cramped conditions of the house. There was no room to breathe, and the three of them also happened to feel a bit out of place. They weren't part of the family, so they felt as though they shouldn't be there. Raynea wondered if that was how Draco felt all the time. It saddened her to think about it. Actually, thinking about him at all brought her nothing but depression. Though, Raynea tried to ignore this. She had to remain on company behavior while trying to deal with the stress of having to be a bridesmaid.

She understood that she was overreacting, but she only imagined disaster as she pictured herself walking down the aisle. Not to mention the fear that she, Hermione and Ginny experienced as they envisioned what their dresses would look like. They didn't think that Fleur had poor taste, but they were quite aware of the fact that bridesmaids' dresses were usually ugly. It was common knowledge.

By the time the evening rolled around, Raynea was thoroughly exhausted. Socializing all day was fairly tiring, especially since one of Ron's cousins had taken a liking to her. Emmett was quite a few years older, and was definitely a huge fan of Firewhiskey. Raynea repeated her name to him at least five times before he could finally remember it, and he wasn't big on subtlety when it came to his attempts to flirt with her. He had been following her around all evening as everyone congregated in the living room and kitchen, and Raynea wasn't sure how much longer she could go without punching him in the face. Finally, she was able to escape him, and she immediately headed outside so that she could remain hidden.

As she stepped onto the lawn, a cool breeze sent her hair flying back and instantly cooled her tense body. Everything was quiet. In fact, Raynea could hardly remember the last time her surroundings were so peaceful. She inhaled deeply and treaded farther away from the house. The air outside was so open, unlike the stuffiness of the house. Raynea traveled even farther ahead, and was surprised when she discovered another figure nearby. Just a few paces in front of her was Draco. His back was to her, and his hands were shoved into his pockets as he looked into the distance. Raynea was certain that he hadn't noticed her yet, and figured she should try to leave. However, she wasn't ready to go back into the house. She needed some air, and apparently, so did Draco. They could share the space, she supposed. Raynea didn't want to wander too far away, for it was dark, so instead, she marched to the area right beside him.

Draco remained silent and kept his eyes fixed straight ahead. Raynea sighed as her gaze was directed towards him. He looked lost in thought, and a little worried. She wanted to speak, but wasn't sure what kind of horrible reaction it would cause. Though, it was probably more uncomfortable to just stand there in silence.

"Look, I know that you hate me," Raynea began uneasily, "and I know that I'm probably the last person you would wanna be around right now, but I'm not here to try to…talk. I needed to get away from everyone inside, so I'm just gonna stand here, and not talk to you, or bother you…I'm really just gonna stand here…then, I'll leave you alone again."

Draco didn't offer her a reply, but merely stood there with a slightly less severe expression on his face. Raynea exhaled before ripping her eyes away from him and staring ahead. Just as promised, she stayed quiet. Neither one talked nor looked at the other, and it was actually kind of nice. It was good to get some air, and Raynea felt some relief once in Draco's presence. He always was comforting without trying to be. A few minutes passed, and Raynea involuntarily began speaking. She supposed she needed to vent. The house _was _extremely chaotic, so she really needed to let out her discomfort.

"Merlin, the Weasleys have a lot of relatives," she stated, rolling her eyes, "I mean, why can't these people just show up for the bloody wedding? Is it really necessary for them to visit before the damn thing?"

There was a short bit of silence, then, what happened next was quite a shock.

"I know…" Draco agreed in irritation, "Why can't these wankers just apparate here on the day its supposed to bloody happen?"

Raynea's eyes widened in surprise as she heard his reply. She hadn't heard his voice in so long, she forgot how much she loved the sound of it. Instead of questioning him about his sudden response, Raynea continued the conversation as if everything was normal.

"Seriously," she groaned, rolling her eyes, "…and Ron's cousin, Emmett, won't leave me alone. I came out here just to get the hell away from him.

At this, Draco smirked, but kept his eyes in the same place.

"I saw him corner you earlier," he admitted with dark amusement, "He's gotta be pushing thirty…plus, he's drunk off his ass."

"Yeah, I think he's too plastered to realize that I'm seventeen," Raynea said as she chuckled.

"Half the people in there are too plastered to remember their own names," Draco added on.

"Well, the wedding's in two days…I guess they really wanna celebrate," Raynea suggested with a shrug.

"Please," he scoffed, "Wedding…"

"What? You don't think it's a nice concept?"

"Being stuck with the same person for your entire bloody life? The idea doesn't exactly sound like a jolly good time to me," Draco replied acidly.

"I think it's nice," Raynea said as she smiled, "If it's the right person."

There was a short, tense period of quiet before Draco started to smirk once again.

"Well, maybe you can marry that Emmett bloke, then," he offered wryly.

"Oy," Raynea answered in disgust, "Raynea Weasley doesn't exactly have a nice ring to it."

"Yeah, cause Raynea Potter would sound much better," Draco said sarcastically.

"Ugh…don't even talk like that," she laughed. Raynea smile slowly faded as she pondered their topic of conversation even further. Her mouth turned up at the corners wistfully as she spoke again.

"Raynea Malfoy…"

Draco's eyes widened before he turned his head to stare at her. It was the first time he had looked at her in the entire exchange, and his expression could be described as nothing but shocked.

"…that sounds bad, too," she added on after a moment. Draco's eyes hardened briefly, "…but I like it…the best out of the three."

He smirked and redirected his gaze to the sky. There was more silence before he decided to speak.

"If it was the right person…I dunno…maybe it wouldn't suck _completely_…"

It was Raynea's turn to be surprised. She whipped her head to the side so that she could see him and grinned. As she stared upon him, Raynea saw that there was a look of contentment in his eyes. Though, he still wore an arrogant smirk on his face. They both stayed quiet for awhile, and it was peaceful. There wasn't as much tension or anger as there usually was. They were both simply in the same place at the same time. It was…nice.

"You know, I actually have to be in the wedding," Raynea announced bitterly after a few minutes had passed, "Fleur wants me to be a bridesmaid."

"You?" Draco repeated amusedly, "That's a bleeding joke."

Raynea rolled her eyes and shot him a good natured glare.

"I'm probably gonna trip…or fall…or something."

"Honestly," he agreed, "You couldn't be graceful if your life depended on it."

"Thanks for the encouragement," she responded ironically.

He shrugged as he offered her a twisted smile. Raynea couldn't help but grin, also. They were both quiet again and each gazed up at the sky. After awhile, she figured she should go back into the house, but she didn't want to. Everything was so nice outside. The breeze was cool, the sky looked beautiful…and being with Draco was actually calming, for once. Instead of doing what she should have, Raynea stayed outside. Though, against her will, she was eventually drawn back into the house.

"Hey!" shouted a voice from behind them. Both Draco and Raynea turned around to see who had called out to them, and Raynea felt nothing but dread as her eyes fell upon Emmett.

"Hi, Emmett," she answered, trying to conceal her annoyance, "Did you need something?"

"Come back inside," he suggested drunkenly as he staggered over the threshold, "Ron's been looking for you…and I wouldn't mind having you to myself for awhile…"

Raynea inhaled sharply and rolled her eyes before fixing them on Draco. He looked amused at her predicament, but disappointed, also. He smirked, then nudged his head towards the door.

"You better get in there," he said smugly, "Your husband awaits…"

"Oh, yeah," she began sardonically, "Lucky me."

Raynea groaned quietly as she trudged back into the house, wishing not to have left Draco by himself outside. Actually she didn't want to leave Draco at all.

***

It was the day before the wedding, and the excitement in the house was almost tangible. Fleur was a nervous wreck and Mrs. Weasley was constantly scurrying around to make sure that everything was perfect. Raynea was a bit anxious about the event, herself, though she knew she shouldn't be. She, Hermione and Ginny finally got to see what their bridesmaids' dresses looked like, and that brought her some relief.

"They're actually…not ugly," Ginny stated as a smile graced her face. She held up the hanger that contained the dress and examined it carefully.

"Honestly, I like them," Hermione agreed.

Raynea also thoroughly inspected her dress and was quite stunned that she liked it, as well. Yes, it was a little flashy, but that was bearable. The dresses were strapless and looked as though they would fall a few inches above the knee. The color was a deep shade of gold that glimmered a bit in certain types of lighting. The silhouette would probably be tight from the chest to the waist, but would flow slightly away from the body from the hips down. Raynea was quite pleased with the look of it, and found that she would be able to add her own flair to it to make it work.

"Well, at least we'll be walking down the aisle in style," she said optimistically.

The girls prepared to discuss the dresses even further, when Harry suddenly entered the room. He had a serious look upon his face, and his eyes instantly fell upon Raynea.

"Sorry to interrupt," he began apologetically, "but can I talk to you for a second, Raynea?"

She furrowed her brow before placing her dress onto her cot and following Harry out into the hallway. It seemed strange that he wanted to talk about a private matter now, especially considering how busy things were. He led her towards Ron's room, not speaking once on the trek. They entered the attic, and Harry gestured for her to sit on his cot. She did so, with him following suit shortly afterwards. Raynea stared at him with a puzzled expression.

"Harry…is everything all right?" she asked in concern.

"Yeah, everything's fine," he assured her, "I just needed to talk to you before the wedding."

"Er…okay…" Raynea said, her confusion only growing.

Harry swallowed a lump in his throat before fixing his eyes on her. It didn't seem like he wanted to discuss something personal. In fact, he was acting like this was some sort of business transaction.

"I've been talking with Mr. Weasley…and Ron…" he explained, "and a few things have come up that you should know about."

"Okay…"

"We're going to go search for the horcruxes after the wedding…_right _after the wedding. I want to set out the next day."

"All right," Raynea said as she nodded, "That seems like a logical plan. We've waited too long to get started as it is."

"Well…" Harry trailed off uncomfortably, clearing his throat, "When I say 'we,' I mean, me, Ron and Hermione."

Raynea furrowed her brow once again and gazed at him, completely mystified. She was always under the impression that she would be included in this expedition. What changed?

"Er…okay…well, what am I supposed to do while you all are gone? I can't go back to school without you all, not after everything that's happened."

"You shouldn't go back to school," Harry agreed, "There's something else you need to do."

"What?"

"Mr. Weasley brought up a good point…that there's something…well, someone…that needs to be looked after."

Raynea's jaw dropped in realization as she pieced together what Harry was saying. She simply couldn't form a reply, so she let him continue his explanation.

"We can't leave Malfoy on his own," Harry reasoned, "He's been here too long…he knows too much…if the Death Eaters ever found him, could you imagine what would happen?"

"They _won't _find him," Raynea responded. It sounded like she was trying to convince herself of this, rather than Harry.

"You don't know that for sure," he pointed out gravely, "I think…well, _we _all think it would be better if you stayed with him. You're the only one he'll really listen to…so, you should be the one to protect him."

"Mr. and Mrs. Weasley will always be here for that," Raynea said desperately, "Or…I dunno…he could come with us…"

"No, Raynea," Harry replied firmly, "We think that you should stay with him. You need to take him somewhere else and make sure that the Death Eaters can't get to him."

"You want the two of us to leave?" Raynea demanded.

"You have to, Rayne," he insisted, "The longer he stays in one place, the easier it'll be for them to find him."

Raynea sighed in defeat. Harry had just made an excellent point, she couldn't deny it. It would be in Draco's best interest to leave, but why was she being chosen to protect him? Yes, she had a connection to him, but she was just one girl. How was she supposed to protect him against Death Eaters?

"Where're we supposed to go?" she asked quietly.

"You said once that Aurora's boyfriend would let you live with him," Harry answered, "Write to him…ask if you two can stay there for awhile…"

"Harry—"

"You know that it's our best option," he interrupted with conviction, "I know I don't like Malfoy, but we can't let him get captured by Death Eaters. They could get information out of him…or they could kill him. Do you really wanna take that chance?"

Harry stared at her piercingly as Raynea's expression became saddened. She felt a knot form in her stomach at the mere thought of Draco being taken away. She knew that they were right, and she knew that their plan made sense. It _was _their best option.

"I'll send a letter to Luke," she announced resignedly, standing up from her seat on the cot.

"I'm sorry," Harry told her truthfully, "I really do wish you could come with us…but we both know that this makes more sense."

"Yeah…it does."

Raynea turned to walk away, but he called her back one final time.

"Make sure you tell Malfoy what's going on…let him know that you two are leaving."

She half turned her head so that Harry could see the side of her face and folded her lips in determination.

"I will."

***

By the time the sun set, everyone was downstairs partying. It was the rehearsal dinner, in a sense, but it mostly consisted of everyone talking and drinking. Raynea had joined the festivities for awhile, but found that she couldn't take Emmett's drunken advances any longer. She ducked towards the stairs and raced up them to avoid being stopped by anyone. Luckily, she was able to reach the upstairs without being reprimanded. After sighing in relief, Raynea headed towards Ginny's room. She reached the door, then realized that she had a different location in mind. Raynea made her way up to Ron's bedroom, biting her lip anxiously as she crossed the threshold.

Once she entered the room, she saw that Draco was sprawled out on his cot. He just lay there, staring at the ceiling with a sharp look on his face. However, his expression softened slightly upon her entrance. Since their conversation from the previous night, the two of them were on better terms. They weren't friendly exactly, but they were speaking again. Raynea was relieved by this. She couldn't stand being away from him any longer. It was simply frustrating.

"What're you doing up here?" Draco questioned, a hint of gruffness in his voice.

"I just needed to get away from everything down there," she admitted as she exhaled.

"I could understand that," he said, his tone increasing in severity as he continued, "These people never shut their bleeding mouths. I can hear them all the way up here."  
Raynea stopped and listened for a moment. Draco was right. The sound of raised voices and laughter was audible from the attic. She rolled her eyes as she treaded towards his cot. She still didn't want to overstep her boundaries, so she didn't sit down immediately. Instead, she waited for him to offer her a seat. Draco stared up at her briefly while she remained standing, and offered her a smirk.

"No need to be so polite," he stated smoothly, "Sit your ass down."

Raynea sighed at his brutishness, but took a seat nonetheless. They were about a foot away from each other, which only reminded her of how much tension there was between them. She was afraid to get any closer.

"So, what's been going on downstairs?" Draco asked mockingly, "Did Emmett make his move yet?"

"He's made several," Raynea replied with a chuckle, "I must've said 'no' about fifty times, and he _still _hasn't backed off."

"Bloke needs to learn that you're not an easy bint to please," he answered smugly.

"I think the Firewhiskey's affecting his judgment," she said. There was a slight pause before she leaned her head against the wall tiredly, "I'm so exhausted…but at least the wedding's tomorrow. It's gonna be great. I mean, I know I've been complaining about so many people being here, but it really will be fun."

"Don't get too excited," Draco warned arrogantly, "Unless, you're all ready to make a fool of yourself walking down the aisle, that is."

"You don't know that I'll definitely screw up," Raynea returned in annoyance.

"Yes, I do," he insisted amusedly, "I know you, Raynea. You'll mess this up for sure. You're not graceful…and you're sure as hell not bloody poised. It's one of the things I…" his eyes widened for a short time before he cleared his throat loudly, "It's one of the things that I've…noticed about you."

"Well, thanks for letting me know," she shot back irritably, trying to hide the fact that her face was turning red. She knew what he was about to say, though she was glad he stopped himself from saying it. She was desperately trying to stay away from that particular subject.

"So…do I really have to go to this ruddy thing? I wasn't even invited," Draco grumbled, breaking the silence.

"You weren't _not_ invited….you live here, so you automatically have to come," Raynea explained.

"Oy," he groaned, before smirking in realization, "At least I get to see your grand entrance. That'll make the whole damn thing worth it."

"Ugh...stop it. You're making me more nervous."

"That's supposed to stop me?" Draco inquired conceitedly, "That's just bloody incentive to keep going."

"Whatever," Raynea sighed in exasperation. He simply gazed at her with a twisted smile on his face. She scooted a little closer to him, and removed her head from the wall. She remembered what Harry had asked her to do earlier, and this break in the conversation seemed to be the perfect time to explain the circumstances. Raynea straightened up before turning to face him with a look of determination in her eyes.

"Oh…I had to tell you something."

"All right," Draco said with a shrug, "Get to it, then."

"Well, Harry, Ron and Hermione are heading off to find horcruxes the day after tomorrow," Raynea told him.

"I thought you were supposed to go with them. That's what you gits have been planning since I've been here," Draco replied roughly.

"I was…but they want me to do something else, now."

"What?"  
"They told me that I have to…protect you."

Draco smirked at her before laughing darkly. Raynea sighed in frustration and rolled her eyes. This definitely made the idea of having to keep him safe even more annoying than it already was.

"They want _you _to protect _me_?" he asked doubtfully.

"Well…yes."

"Are they mad?" he demanded harshly, "As if you could really protect me…"

"Hey, I'm not exactly jumping for joy about this, either," Raynea countered, "but this is what they told me to do, so I'll do it."

"Well, it looks like you're stuck with me for a little longer then, McCoy," he stated cockily.

"Yeah…lucky me," she said acidly, "Also, you should know that they've asked us to leave."

"Excuse me?"

"They think it'll be safer to bring you somewhere else so that its not as easy for the Death Eaters to find you," Raynea explained.

"They want me to leave…and they want you to come with me?"

"Basically..."

"So…it would just be the two of us…completely alone?"

"Well—"

"I'm starting to like this plan, actually," he interrupted suggestively.

"We wouldn't be alone, ponce," Raynea told him pointedly, "We're going to stay at my friend, Luke's, place in London."

"How in the hell do you suppose we get there?"

"Fly, I guess," she suggested with a shrug.

"Great," he responded bitingly, rolling his eyes.

"It won't be so bad," Raynea said resolutely, "If it keeps you safe, then it's worth it."

Draco's gaze grew in intensity as he inched closer to her. Raynea raised her eyebrows in surprise and shot him a confused look.

"You're worried about me…" he said haughtily.

"Of course I am."

"Why?"

"I just…I don't want them to find you," Raynea answered curtly, "If they did…they could get information out of you or something."

Draco moved back to his original spot as she explained her reasoning. He exhaled in irritation as she cast her eyes downwards. He must've known that she was just putting on a façade to hide her _real_ worry. She inwardly cursed herself for being so evasive, and eased herself back onto her feet. It seemed to be the best time to end the conversation before it turned into an argument.

"I should probably get back," Raynea announced.

"Yeah," Draco agreed angrily, "Go back to the ruddy party."

"You could come, too," she said with a smile.

"Nah…this really isn't my kind of crowd," he returned condescendingly.

"Right," Raynea snapped, annoyed by his snooty attitude.

She headed for the door before Draco's voice pulled her away from her intentions.

"Do I seriously have to go to this thing tomorrow?"

Raynea turned slowly to face him and offered him a piercing stare.

"Yes."

"Why?"

"Because I want you there," she told him quietly.

He raised his eyebrows and smirked as he leaned back onto his pillow.

"All right, then."

She grinned subtly, then whipped her head forward once again.

"I'll see you tomorrow."

"That you will," he replied, his voice dripping with conceit.

Raynea couldn't help but broaden her grin as she stepped out into the hallway, leaving him to sit in peaceful silence.

**(Another) Author's Note: The wedding's in the next chapter! I'm siked to write it, and I hope it is an event of interest. Weddings are always action/drama packed. I hope you liked the way that Draco and Raynea made up...I wanted it to be subtle, and I didn't wanna make it seem like they were suddenly BFF, or anything. I really, really hope you liked this update! Please, please review! Thank you so much!!!. :)**


	10. Chapter 10

**Author's Note: Thank you so, so much for the reviews! They're wonderful, I really do enjoy reading them. So, it's finally the wedding! Now, I have a suggestion/would love if you would do this: I underlined a set of the stars that seperate the sections of the chapter so that would cue you into playing a song that would match the moment perfectly (well, to me at least). When you get to the underlined stars, please play the song "Reflecting Light" by Sam Phillips. The song is gorgeous, and I'm sure you could find it on youtube or playlist or something. You don't have to do it, but I would strongly recommend it. Just for something to set the mood. I played the song over and over as I was writing that part. Anyway, I'm hoping to get one more chapter out before I go back to school (ugh...) and then, the updates won't be quite as frequent. I truly am sorry, and will try to update as often as I possibly can. I really hope you enjoy this chapter! Please, please leave a review!! Thanks so much!!! :) **

The day of the wedding had finally arrived, and Fleur was even more of a wreck than she had been over the past few days. Hermione, Ginny, Raynea and Gabrielle helped her do her hair and make-up as they tried to calm her down. Her anxiety was definitely understandable, but all the bridesmaids were still desperate to make her relax a bit. Raynea felt horribly for Fleur. A girl's wedding day was one of the most important days in her life. It would actually be strange if Fleur hadn't been nervous. Raynea was a bit tightly wound, herself. The idea of having to walk down the aisle in front of hundreds of people still made her sick to her stomach. Though, she could only imagine how freaked out Fleur must've been. She was the one getting married, after all.

By noon, everything was set up for the ceremony itself, but Fleur's bridal makeover still hadn't been completed. Raynea decided to leave it to her fellow bridesmaids to help out Fleur, while she checked to make sure that Harry and Ron didn't need anything. She entered Ron's bedroom and found that Harry, Ron _and _Draco were all lounging out on their beds, not dressed or anywhere near ready for the wedding. They couldn't even excuse it by saying they were helping out downstairs or on the lawn. Raynea's jaw dropped as she discovered the boys' lazy states, and immediately took control of the situation.

"What're you all doing up here?" she demanded with a hint of hysteria in her voice. Her nerves were really getting to her that day, so she supposed she came off as being a little high-strung.

"Uh…staying out of the way," Ron suggested sheepishly, looking to Harry for a more official excuse. Harry's eyes simply widened before he cleared his throat and shrugged.

"Yeah…what Ron said. There's so many people rushing around, we'd just get in the way," he rationalized.

Raynea grinned ironically at their reasoning as she treaded over to Ron's closet and began to rummage through it.

"What're you doing?" Ron asked.

"You all should be getting ready," Raynea told them anxiously. She didn't know why she was so desperate to have them all dressed and ready to go, but she suspected that it could've been because she didn't want to get ready herself. When she put the dress on, she would officially be a bridesmaid. Then, it would only be a matter of time before she would make a complete fool of herself.

"The wedding's not for hours," Harry pointed out.

"Still…you all should be dressed," Raynea insisted as she fished Ron's dress robes out of his closet and tossed them onto his bed.

"Oy…I forgot we had to get all fancied up for this…" Ron groaned, collapsing backwards onto his pillow.

Raynea scurried over to Harry's trunk and started to search through it for his formal clothes. He eventually got up off his cot and crouched down beside her with a chuckle.

"I've got it under control, Rayne," he assured her, "Why're you acting so mad?"

"I'm not…" Raynea said defensively as she straightened up, "I just think you all should be dressed already."

"It's not like you're all set and ready to go," Ron reminded her amusedly.

"Yeah…well…I've been helping out the bride all morning," she reasoned.

"Oh yeah, I forgot that you're a bridesmaid," Harry stated with a smile.

"Ugh…don't remind me," Raynea said tensely, "Now, you two better start getting ready."

"Sure thing, mum," Ron teased as he and Harry headed out into the hallway. Raynea sighed in relief once she knew that they had begun preparing, then turned to Draco, who hadn't said a word since she entered the room. She approached his cot frantically and suddenly started to pressure him.

"You ought to get ready, too," Raynea told him. He shrugged.

"I'm not worried about it," Draco responded smoothly, "With me, it's come as you are."

"Well, what're you going to wear? It's not like you have any dress robes here," she reminded him fretfully.

"I've got it covered," Draco said, smirking at her erratic behavior, "A bit tense today, are we?"

"Tense?…I'm not tense," Raynea returned shakily as her eyes widened.

"I can see that," he stated sarcastically, standing up from his seat on his cot, "Stop worrying so much about everyone else, and get _yourself_ dressed. You look like a bloody mess right now."

"Thanks, that makes me feel loads better," she shot back bitingly as she crossed her arms over her chest.

"You're welcome," Draco replied smugly, "Now, go…run a ruddy brush through your hair or something…"

"Okay, your opinion is no longer required, here," Raynea snapped, rolling her eyes and heading towards the door.

She felt Draco's eyes trail after her as she entered the hallway. His last few comments didn't exactly make her feel better about things. Raynea stroked her head insecurely before glancing up at her hairline with a dreadful look upon her face. She supposed it was finally time to get ready.

***

Almost everyone was gathered outside, waiting for the wedding to commence. Fleur was doing the final touches on her appearance upstairs along with her bridesmaids, Bill was checking on things outside, Harry and Ron were waiting by the door with Charlie, who happened to be Bill's best man, and Draco was standing at the foot of the stairs. There was no way he was going outside without Raynea. In the end, she was the only reason he agreed to come to the wedding at all. He was going to give her hell for making him show up. The event hadn't even begun, and he was already annoyed. There were too many cheerful people around for his taste. Not to mention, he hardly knew anyone there—and he didn't really care to, either.

Draco felt as though he had been waiting by the stairs for an eternity. He didn't know what was taking the girls so long, but he was about to storm up there and give them a piece of his mind. He just wanted to get the evening over with. Finally, Ginny came racing down the stairs and joined Harry and Ron by the door. Draco listened to see if she would give any word on how much longer they'd have to wait.

"Fleur wants to come out alone, so we can leave once Hermione, Raynea and Gabrielle get down here."

"_Good_," Draco mused bitterly, "_I can't take this any bloody longer…_"

Suddenly, he heard the sound of footsteps, and Gabrielle descended the stairs before joining Ginny by the door. Following that, Hermione and Raynea slowly traveled down the winding steps. As Draco looked upon Raynea, he actually felt his stomach tighten. She was wearing the same, gold bridesmaids' dress as the rest of the girls, but it looked different on her for some reason—well, to him, anyway. The dress didn't do much for her chest considering it was nearly flat, but it emphasized her skinny waist quite nicely. Plus, it was short, so it showed off her long, thin legs. Draco eyes slowly trailed up to her face and he saw that she was literally beaming. He hadn't seen her look so happy in a long time.

Her mahogany eyes appeared especially bright in contrast with the gold of the dress, and her hair, which was usually in loose curls, was in vaguely tighter curls that still flattered her nicely. She wore a wreath of small, golden flowers on her head, which seemed to be a personal touch. None of the other girls had one. Draco was taken aback by how stunning she looked. She always looked hot to him, but this was different. Tonight, she wasn't hot; she was beautiful. He shook his head and tried to appear unfazed by her as she approached him with a smile.

"You look nice," Raynea told him kindly, gazing at his black suit then fixing her eyes upon his face. Draco smirked as he looked her up and down, causing her to roll her eyes.

"…you look like a ruddy Christmas ornament," he informed her roughly.

Raynea's face fell slightly, and she leaned her head forward to glance down at her flashy, gold dress. After a moment, she brought herself upright and sighed.

"Thanks," she stated acidly, "You better get outside…its about to start."

"Merlin, this is gonna be boring," Draco grumbled as he placed his hands in his pockets.

"Go," Raynea ordered with a chuckle, shoving him towards the door.

"Ooh, I always have liked it rough," he shot back mockingly.

"Just go outside," she insisted, unable to hold back a smile.

Draco smirked as he finally abided by her wishes and went out onto the lawn. The evening sure would turn out to be interesting. He just hoped he the ceremony wouldn't bore him to tears.

***

Raynea clutched her bouquet of flowers frantically as she swallowed a lump in her throat. She was standing in line behind Hermione, waiting to be cued onto the aisle. She would be the last bridesmaid to walk to the front of the lawn, and this only added to her stress. Her eyes darted around nervously as she searched for something—anything to make herself feel more at ease. Finally, the sound of music spread out across the lawn, indicating that the wedding was just about to begin. Raynea felt her heartbeat quicken as she held her head up high and prepared to take the anticipated stroll.

Gabrielle was leading the line, and she took off down the pathway gracefully, followed by Ginny, Hermione and Raynea. Raynea felt her knees quake as she moved along after her fellow bridesmaids, but she had yet to fall. She only wished she could feel more relaxed. Everyone was watching her…everyone was staring at her…it was incredibly unnerving. Raynea allowed her eyes to trail over the sea of faces before her.

She caught a glimpse of Harry, Ron and the twins almost immediately, each of them wearing broad grins on their faces. This helped her a little, but not by much. Then, unfortunately, she passed by Emmett, who merely gazed at her lustfully. Raynea inhaled to maintain her composure and keep from grimacing. After a few more paces, she was blessed with a sudden feeling of calm. As soon as she glanced at the back of Draco's head, she was instantly relaxed. She was taken aback by the fact that he had this affect on her, but decided not to question it. Raynea caught his eye as she walked by him, and he offered her a smirk and a wink. She smiled at the gesture, and continued on down the aisle. Once she reached the front of the lawn, everything was okay. She could finally breathe.

Everyone turned around once Fleur had made her way down the path. She looked absolutely gorgeous, as usual. Raynea beamed as she looked from Fleur to Bill and saw them gaze at each other with longing. She couldn't even explain the overwhelming feeling of happiness she was experiencing. It was so amazing to witness love with her own eyes.

Abruptly, as if she wasn't able to control her own movements, Raynea fixed her stare upon Draco, and found that he had never taken his eyes off of her. The two shared a long, intense look, and simply smiled at one another. Well, Draco was smirking, but it was still nice, nonetheless. Raynea didn't direct her glance elsewhere throughout the entire ceremony…and neither did he.

***

The reception ended up being more wild than Raynea even imagined. There were people everywhere—and almost everyone had been drinking. It was quite hilarious to watch, actually. At first, Raynea was congregated with Hermione and Ginny, but decided to take a look around after awhile. She weaved through the hordes of friends and family members and made a huge circle around the dance floor. She definitely did not want to get caught up in all that. Raynea was just about to join up with Hermione and Ginny again, when she accidentally bumped right into Emmett.

He was staggering around with a half empty bottle of Firewhiskey in his hand, and wore a twisted smile on his face. Raynea hated herself for being so clumsy as she forced a grin. Emmett took a few steps closer to her and his smile only grew.

"You're looking pretty, pretty tonight," he uttered sloppily.

"Thanks, Emmett," Raynea replied with feigned appreciation.

"You were definitely my favorite bridesmaid," he continued drunkenly.

"That's…nice to know…" she trailed off uncomfortably, "Well, I better go—"

"Drink?" Emmett offered, holding out the bottle towards her.

"No, I'm fine, thank you," Raynea told him, "Anyway, I really have to be going—"

"Aw, you can't leave," Emmett insisted with a chuckle, "We haven't even danced yet.

"Dance? You wanna dance…with me…" she repeated as her eyes widened fearfully.

"Of course. I _have _to have a dance with the prettiest girl here."

"Well, I don't think Bill would be okay with you dancing with his wife," Raynea stated, averting his advance.

"Come on," he urged as he took another unsteady step towards her. Raynea cringed at the thought of having to dance with him, and was even more concerned with trying to come up with a proper excuse not to. She desperately needed a savior. Suddenly, as if her musings had been stated aloud, Raynea felt an arm slide around the back of her neck. She furrowed her brow before glancing to the side to see that Draco had been the one to put his arm around her. As she was overcome with confusion, he jerked her against the side of his body and peered forward to stare at Emmett.

"I've been looking for you everywhere, love," Draco told her smoothly.

Raynea looked up at him doubtfully, then flickered her eyes over to Emmett. She was able to piece everything together in an instant. Raynea had never been so glad to see Draco Malfoy in her entire life.

"Oh…right. Sorry, I was just looking around for a bit," she responded.

Emmett appeared to be extremely puzzled as he glanced from Raynea to Draco with squinted eyes. He took a swig from his bottle of Firewhiskey, as if it would help him figure things out, and stared at them more closely.

"Wait…so…you're with…_him_?" Emmett questioned.

"Uh…"

"Yes, she is," Draco verified coldly, "and next time you even _think _about looking at my girl…don't."

Emmett furrowed his brow and shrugged before preparing to take his leave.

"All right…you can just dance with me later, then…"

"I wouldn't count on that happening," Draco chimed in as he raised his eyebrows.

"Uh…okay…bye…"

After that, Emmett disappeared into the crowd, seeming more terrified of Draco than disappointed that he didn't have a chance with Raynea. Once he was out of sight, Draco removed his arm from Raynea's body as she turned to face him with a look consisting of both gratitude and shock.

"You saved me…" she stated with a grin, "How did you do that?"

"I'm Draco Malfoy," he reminded her cockily. The question didn't seem to need any further explanation. Raynea narrowed her eyes at him good naturedly.

"I'm sorry…but did you _really_ call me your 'girl'?" she questioned in amusement.

"I thought it would seal the deal," Draco informed her arrogantly as he shrugged.

Raynea offered him an even bigger smile.

"Well, thank you…really, _thank you_."

"Don't get all sentimental on me, McCoy," he said conceitedly, "That ponce needed to be put in his place."

"No arguments there," Raynea agreed as she shuddered.

They merely gazed at each other for a moment, each of them seeming a bit uncomfortable. Finally, Raynea cleared her throat loudly and started to back away.

"I should probably go find—"

"Yeah…knock yourself out," Draco interrupted harshly before turning his back on her and pushing past people in the crowd. Raynea furrowed her brow and sighed at the irony. Anytime she and Draco had any sort of nice moment, it always got ruined by something. She rolled her eyes before searching for one of her friends. Though, it would prove to be difficult in such an expansive, yet crowded area.

*******

About an hour went by, and Hermione, Raynea and Ginny hadn't gone to the dance floor once. Ginny was extremely anxious to get an offer to dance, but it hadn't happened yet. Hermione and Raynea were simply too nervous to dance in front of everyone, anyway. Honestly, Raynea was quite content just standing there with her friends. She didn't feel the need to put herself in any sort of awkward situation. It's not that she couldn't dance, she just wasn't comfortable doing so with so many people around. However, Ginny couldn't bear it any longer.

"Ugh…of course I'm at a wedding with a bunch of family all around. No one's going to ask me to dance," she complained.

"Why don't you ask someone, then?" Raynea suggested optimistically.

"Yeah, my choices are either one of my cousins or one of my brothers," Ginny replied with a sigh, "They aren't exactly ideal candidates."

Raynea's eyes shot over to the other side of the lawn. Her gaze fell upon Harry, and she smiled. He did say that he wanted to make things right with Ginny. Perhaps, she could help him in that capacity.

"Ask Harry to dance," Raynea stated eagerly.

Both Hermione and Ginny offered her confused looks. Raynea's smile simply grew.

"Are you sure I should?" Ginny asked uncomfortably.

"Do it," Raynea ordered in an effort to be encouraging.

Ginny suddenly started to grin as she nodded resolutely.

"All right…wish me luck."

After another second, Ginny had strolled across to where Harry was. Hermione and Raynea watched her with excitement, and giggled as Ginny started to lead Harry towards the dance floor by the hand. Raynea was glad for making the suggestion. Things seemed to be working out rather well.

"I guess we're the only ones without dance partners now," Hermione pointed out. Raynea could detect some remorse in her voice, and fixed her eyes to the side as she pondered something. Abruptly, she turned completely around to face Hermione and grinned.

"Why don't you ask Ron to dance?" she offered enthusiastically.

Hermione's eyes widened before she chuckled nervously. This only added to Raynea's amusement as she glanced over to look at Ron.

"He's standing all alone now…what could it hurt?"

"No…it's all right," Hermione said anxiously, "Really, I'm sure the last thing Ron would want to do is dance with me."

"Are you mad? I think he'd love it."

"No…" Hermione repeated, backing away slowly.

A smirk covered Raynea's face as she suddenly scurried over to Ron's location, leaving Hermione stunned behind her.

"Raynea! What're you doing?...Raynea!"

Raynea ignored Hermione's pleas as she approached Ron with a firm look on her face.

"Come with me," she ordered, grabbing Ron's wrist and leading him towards Hermione.

"What in the bloody hell are you doing?" Ron questioned uneasily.

Raynea didn't answer him, and detached herself from his arm as they came up to Hermione. Hermione and Ron simply glanced at each other awkwardly, causing Raynea to laugh. She took each of their arms and laced them together before stepping back and smiling.

"You two…go dance…now."

Hermione and Ron exchanged another look, when Raynea playfully shoved them towards the dance floor.

"Come on, you guys. Go!"

The pair finally gave into her orders and treaded to the area with the other dancers. Raynea watched them expectantly as they started to sway to the music unsteadily. She chuckled when they finally grew more comfortable with one another and got closer. After the initial joy she felt for her friends, Raynea began to feel out of place. She allowed her eyes to trail all throughout the lawn, and she suddenly realized that she was one of the only people not dancing. Her face turned pink from embarrassment before she inhaled deeply. Everything was fine…she was fine…sort of…

Raynea folded her arms across her chest as she tried to enjoy watching the dancers. A slow song had just come on, and everyone was seeming to feel especially romantic all of a sudden. She folded her lips and prepared to take a seat at one of the tables set up, when she felt a presence beside her. Raynea whipped her head to the side to see Draco standing next to her. He had an intense look on his face, and fixed his eyes upon her after another minute.

"I see you're all by your lonesome," Draco stated mockingly, "Why is it that you never have a date to these things? Can't keep a fellow happy?"

"I keep them happy," Raynea responded defensively, narrowing her eyes, "…I think…"

"No need to get all insecure," he said conceitedly, "I was only joking."

"Well, forgive me for not laughing," she told him sarcastically as she rolled her eyes.

He just smirked as the two stood there quietly. They both seemed to be looking at everyone dancing for a short period of time, then Draco abruptly began to speak.

"Would you wanna…I dunno…dance or something?" he inquired roughly.

Raynea raised her eyebrows in surprise before staring at him suspiciously. Was he seriously offering to dance with her? Draco really didn't seem like the dancing type, so she was quite stunned by the invitation.

"Are you…actually asking to dance…with me?" she demanded as a grin formed on her face.

"Well, we're the only people in this ruddy place not dancing," Draco rationalized impatiently, "We look like a bunch of bleeding wankers."

"Since when do you care what these people think of you?" Raynea asked.

"I don't…" he jeered, "Dammit…why do I have to explain myself to you? Do you wanna dance or not?"

"Fine," she gave in, "But if you're doing this just so you can cop a feel…I'll kick your ass."

"Hey, you're only making the idea more appealing now," Draco informed her arrogantly.

Raynea narrowed her eyes at him and smiled as he held out his arm. She stared down at it, still feeling a bit shocked, before glancing back up at his face.

"I'm growing a beard here, McCoy…" Draco snapped, "Can we just get a bloody move on?"

"You're exhausting," she shot back with an annoyed sigh.

A perverted smile covered Draco's face as he raised his eyebrows.

"You have no idea how true that is, love."

"Ugh…" Raynea answered, latching onto his arm, "Let's just get this over with…and don't get used to calling me 'love.'"

Draco just shrugged as he led Raynea towards the dance floor. They found an empty space in between a few other couples, and simply stood there and faced each other for a second. Raynea bit her lip uncomfortably as she got a little closer. Draco rolled his eyes before slowly placing his hand onto her waist. Raynea felt her stomach clench as he did so, and gulped. He brought her against him and snatched up her hand. She rested her other hand on his shoulder and started to sway. It was a bit strange at first, especially since Draco was actually holding her in a tender way. Raynea liked it…though she was still freaked out by it. After some more time went by, the two became more at ease and moved less awkwardly. Raynea started to smile as they continued on. It was nice to dance—more specifically, it was nice to dance with Draco. She couldn't hide the grin that had graced her face as they moved to the music. Another minute went by, and, suddenly, Draco was smiling, too. He wasn't smirking. He was actually _smiling_.

Raynea laughed as they stared at each other intensely. She was so overwhelmed by her happiness, that she couldn't help it. He raised his eyebrows at her expectantly, waiting for her to explain the reason for her laughter. She didn't offer one, so he spoke instead.

"You're actually graceful…if a man is leading you, that is," he pointed out smugly.

"I'll take that as a compliment," Raynea responded with a nod. Draco shrugged.

"I guess that Blackwell git didn't know what he was missing."

Raynea beamed and cast her eyes downwards. He was almost being…nice. He added his own brutish flair to his commentary, but she wasn't quite as annoyed by it as usual. Neither one spoke for a minute, then Raynea gazed back up at him curiously.

"Do you really think I look like a Christmas ornament?" she questioned insecurely.

"Truthfully?" Draco began smoothly, "…no."

Raynea's smile broadened—if that was even possible. The pair continued to dance without speaking, and just enjoyed the music. Raynea found it very calming to be in such a close proximity with Draco, especially since he was acting like a human, for once. She was purely and completely content. After a little more time had passed, Raynea aimed her face upwards to look at him. He was still smiling and he seemed somewhat pensive. He suddenly gave her a questioning look, which prompted Raynea to furrow her brow. Draco raised his eyebrows before slowly easing his face closer to hers. She didn't stop him, nor did she push away. Now, his face was only centimeters from hers. Raynea felt her stomach jolt.

Abruptly, a loud noise broke her away from her thoughts and caused her to whip her head to the side. The music cut out as black clouds of smoke surrounded everyone. Raynea's eyes widened in realization while the rest of her body froze. She detached herself from Draco and looked around as she spotted a few sharp, unfamiliar faces at the head of the lawn.

"It's not a party till someone crashes it," shouted an instantly recognizable voice. Raynea felt her blood run cold.

"_No…_"


	11. Chapter 11

**Author's Note: Thank you so, so, so much for the reviews! I'm so sorry it's taken me so long to update! Damn school...it's taking over my freaking life. Anyway, I really hope you enjoy this chapter! It's extremely short, and I'm sorry if it seems rushed, but I really wanted to get something posted to give some info after that cliff hanger. This part of the story is really transitional which is why it's so brief, but I promise, the next chapter will be slightly less serious, and way more fun. This update is really serious and tense, and I just wanna get past this part of the story. Please bear with me. School is literally killing all my writing time...dammit. Anyway, please, please leave a review! They are really motivational, and with school and everything, the motivation is very important. Thanks so, so much!! :) **

Raynea tensed up as she glanced at everyone else around her. The rest of the wedding guests wore terrified, puzzled looks on their faces as they looked around in panic. She felt her heart beat quicken as she reached for her wand, though was frightened when she realized she didn't have it with her. After a second, Raynea whipped around to stare at Draco, who wore an utterly horrified expression. He swallowed a lump in his throat as tears came to his eyes. Raynea felt her heart break as she whipped back around to see the group of Death Eaters at the front of the lawn. They were grinning darkly and suddenly, Bellatrix Lestrange came closer towards the crowd. The look on her face was purely devilish as she twirled her wand in her hand.

"Draco…" she uttered in a taunting voice.

Raynea instantly grew protective and backed up towards Draco before poising herself in front of him.

"Draco Malfoy…" Bellatrix sang evilly, "I know you're here, darling."

The crowd whispered fearfully as they looked at one another. Raynea glanced to the side and made eye contact with Harry. He glanced at her fretfully and nodded in an effort to convey an idea to her. Raynea knew exactly what he was thinking. She and Draco would have to run. She had a plan, but she couldn't put into action just yet. She had to wait for the opportune moment.

"Step forward," shouted a voice that made Raynea's stomach tighten even more.

"_Tristan..._" she thought in terror.

"Step forward," Tristan repeated as he began to pace the lawn with a mocking smile, "Bring Draco Malfoy forward…and we won't kill everyone here."

The crowd gasped as Raynea backed herself right against Draco. Her back was resting on his chest and partially on his stomach and she could feel the tenseness in his body.

"_Hold on, Draco. Just give it one more minute…_"

"You still refuse to come forward, you coward?" Tristan screamed as he laughed maniacally, "Fine…then this is where the fun begins."

Suddenly, there was a burst of flame at the front of the lawn that threatened to make its way towards the crowd. Everyone took out their wands, almost simultaneously, before scurrying around the grass in a mad panic. Raynea immediately grabbed Draco's hand and bolted off through the crowd. She weaved through the frantic hordes of people, never letting go of Draco's hand…not even for a moment. Abruptly, spells were being thrown back and forth as the fire spread and black wisps of smoke shot through the air. Raynea felt sweat coat her entire body as she continued to lead Draco through the masses of wizards. It was almost like a war. There were spells left and right, and it was only a matter of time before they ran into the enemy.

Raynea was terrified, not for her own safety, but for Draco's. She would die trying to protect him, if she had to. He was so frightened; he probably had no idea what to do, so Raynea would have to take control of the situation. They had a plan…it wasn't definite, but it was a plan. She dragged Draco along behind her as she tried to see through the clouds and smoke. It was really inconvenient for her not to have a wand, but there was no time to run back to the house to get it. She would have to make do.

Finally, Raynea found the outer edges of the battlefield. She didn't glance over her shoulder once. She could still feel Draco's hand in hers, and that was all she needed. He had to be safe. Raynea felt slight relief as it seemed they were getting away, but anxiety consumed her as she came face to face with her brother. Tristan had found them somehow, but Raynea wouldn't let him reprimand them. She would get past him in anyway she had to, which would probably end up being physical fighting. If only her dress had had pockets for her to put her wand in…

"Well, well, well…look what we have here…" Tristan began callously as he charged towards Raynea and Draco, "Thanks for helping us out, sis. You're making this job a lot easier.

Raynea clutched Draco's hand frantically as she placed herself in front of him once again. Then, she remembered something extremely important. Draco probably had _his _wand. Her eyes widened as Tristan raised his wand to them.

"Draco…take out your wand…_now_," she ordered shakily, hoping that Tristan wasn't close enough to hear her command. In an instant, Draco drew out his wand and shot a spell at Tristan. The Death Eater was thrown backwards into the crowd, much to Raynea's relief. Not even a second passed before she yanked Draco's arm and took off running once again.

The two had finally made it out onto the field, gaining speed as they were in more open space. Raynea never let go of his hand as they made more progress in their escape. Sweat ran down her body even more vigorously as they came closer to their destination: the shed. There were a few broomsticks stowed away in there, and that would enable them to leave the Burrow. Raynea quickened her pace as they got even farther out into the fields. She was so desperate to get out…she had to keep Draco safe.

All of a sudden, there was an eruption of black smoke and Tristan apparated right in front of them, blocking their path of travel. Raynea instinctively screamed before shoving herself in front of Draco for the third time. Tristan smirked as he took a few steps forward.

"How cute…you actually think that _you _can protect him from _me_?" he mocked as he held his wand out, "You always were naïve, Raynea."

She started to hyperventilate as Tristan came closer, wishing that she had her wand. She cursed herself for being so foolish. How could she not have seen this coming? They were caught. Draco was going to be captured…or killed. Raynea didn't care what happened to her; however, Draco was a completely different story. He had to be safe. She promised to protect him, and she had already failed.

"Step aside and I won't kill you…" he offered slyly, "…slowly…"

Raynea gulped as she stood her ground. To get to Draco, Tristan would have to go through her…which he probably would…it was inevitable. After another moment, Tristan smirked and flicked his wand towards her. Raynea felt intense pain shoot across her stomach and she immediately toppled to the ground. Breaths were hard to take, and only added to the white hot throbbing that pulsated along her abdomen. Raynea's vision became blurry as she gazed at the only thing in her field of vision: Tristan's feet. She assumed that she was on the ground in front of Draco, lying on her side. She clutched her injured stomach and felt warm, sticky fluids trickle onto her hand. It didn't take a genius to figure out that she was bleeding. Raynea tried to focus on her surroundings. At this point, she didn't even know what was going on.

Though, suddenly, she heard a voice yell out a spell.

"Stupefy!"

Raynea couldn't recognize who had cast the curse, but she hoped that it wasn't Tristan. She suspected that he wouldn't have used such a spell against Draco. He would definitely use something more brutal. A second passed before Raynea felt herself being forced onto her feet. This only aggravated her mind blowing pain as she struggled to stay upright. She felt her knees give out and two arms wrapped around her to keep her steady.

"Come on, McCoy!" exclaimed the tense voice of Draco.

She felt slight relief as she discovered that he had been the one to stun Tristan. He tightened his hold on her as he started to drag her onward.

"Come on; don't crap out on me now!" Draco shouted as his voice broke. Raynea's vision became even more blurred as he heaved her against him, worsening the condition of her wound.

"You're timing blows, come on!" he yelled, his tone quivering with sobs. Draco wrapped her arm around his neck and held her upright by the waist as he quickly pulled her towards their destination. Raynea was fading in and out of consciousness as he hauled her forward. It seemed like no time had passed at all as they entered the dark, cluttered shed. Draco rested her against a rickety table and Raynea instantly toppled to the ground, bring down a few random objects with her. More pain shot through her body as she lay on her back, a small stream of blood dripping from the wound on her stomach onto her legs.

"Don't you dare give up on me, McCoy!" Draco screamed, grabbing her by the shoulders and holding her up by the back of the head.

"Leave…" Raynea trailed off, the pain making it difficult for her to speak, "go…you need…to get outta…here…"

"You're coming with me," Draco told her forcefully. He let go of her, which caused her to fall backwards onto a pile of foreign objects. She grimaced in pain as she heard the sound of clatter. It seemed as though Draco was rummaging through the items in the shed, desperate to find the stowed away brooms. Another moment passed before he was knelt beside her again, a long, wooden broomstick clutched in one of his hands.

"Let's go."

"I…can't…"

"You're coming with me whether you want to or not," Draco stated firmly as he hoisted her off the ground and pulled her out into the open air. He arranged the broom beneath them so they would both ride on one, seeing as Raynea was in no condition to ride by herself. Her head collapsed backwards onto his shoulder and her eyes closed slowly. Raynea was still conscious, but she didn't have the strength to keep her head upright anymore. Suddenly, she felt a breeze blow past her and one of Draco's arms grasp her waist tightly. She figured they were in the air, but that was the last thing she thought of. That was the last thing she could recall before she was surrounded by nothing but blackness.

***

Raynea heard a quiet, calm voice state her name. That was all her sense would pick up on. She still saw nothing but darkness, and felt nothing around her. The same voice said her name again, and it started to sound more familiar. She forced her eyes open and everything surrounding her was a blur. There was a face looking down on her. All she could see was that it was tan, and the eyes staring at her were a deep, sparkling shade of blue. These features were also familiar, and as Raynea started to match them with the voice, she realized where she was.

"Luke…?" she uttered weakly.

"Merlin, Raynea…you had me worried," Luke replied with a chuckle, "I was starting to think I'd gotten rusty in my spell work."

"What're you—"

She stopped herself as she cleared her throat and her eyes adjusted to being open again. Luke had become less of a blur, and she could finally see all of his features. His usually shaggy, brown hair had been cut into a mess of spikes that sat on the top of his head, and his blue eyes were just as brilliant as she remembered. His mouth was pulled into a bright, white smile and the stubble upon his chin was a little more filled in since the last time she saw him. Luke looked slightly more put together than he had a few summers ago. In fact, he appeared to be better than ever. He had always been good looking, but now he was just stunning. A smile graced Raynea's face as she forced herself to sit up. He rested his hand upon hers and shot her an endearing grin.

"I'm glad you're all right," Luke told her warmly, "You got here just in time."

Raynea furrowed her brow as her eyes shot throughout the room. She recognized it instantly. It was the guest room in Luke's flat in London. She wasn't puzzled because of where she was; she was wondering how she got there…

"How did I get here?" she asked curiously.

"Don't you remember?" Luke replied, "That Draco fellow brought you here."

Raynea felt her stomach contract as her eyes widened. That was the first time she had thought of Draco since she had woken up. Was he okay? Was he hurt? What exactly happened? Raynea swung her legs over the side of the bed and she attempted to exit the room in a frantic search for Draco, but Luke gently pushed her back into a sitting position and smiled at her.

"Not so fast," he instructed kindly, "You have to give yourself a chance to rest a bit."

"Where's Draco? Is he okay? What happened?" Raynea demanded rapidly, her eyes widening even more.

"He's fine," Luke chuckled as he patted her on the back, "He's asleep on the couch. The bloke had a pretty tough night. He flew all the way here with you as cargo."

"Really?"

"Yeah," Luke verified, "Good thing I got your letter earlier that day, or I would've thought he was some sort of mad man. Plus, he carried you up to my doorstep, I wasn't just gonna kick the kid out."

"Draco…carried me here?" Raynea inquired in disbelief.

Luke nodded and grinned.

"He was so worried about you, he had himself in tears."

"…What?"

"Yeah. He didn't really tell me much…he just said that you needed to be taken care of immediately. He wasn't exactly polite about it, but I figured it was just because he was freaked out."

"You obviously don't know Draco, then," Raynea responded with a laugh, "…He didn't tell you anything else?"

"Just his name and that he was a friend of yours," Luke said as he ran his hand through his hair, "Like I said, good thing I got your letter, or I would've thought he was a bloody loon."

Raynea smiled pensively.

"Yeah…good thing…"

"Well, if it wasn't obvious already, you're more than welcome to stay here," Luke announced, "You can stay as long as you need to."

"Thank you so much, Luke," Raynea answered as she sighed, "I know there's a lot of danger involved, but I promise we'll leave as soon as we have to."

"Don't worry about it, Rayne," Luke assured her, smiling vibrantly, "Just try to get some rest and we can talk about everything else later."

Raynea offered him a nod before lying down and pulling the covers across her body. Luke was right. She needed some rest before she would be able to think clearly. However, she was anxious to find out about everything that had happened. The last thing she could officially recall was Tristan standing in front of her in the field with his wand out. Everything after that was a total blur. She closed her eyes and attempted to fall into a dreamland. They would give her all the details later. She figured it was too early to worry.


	12. Chapter 12

**Author's Note: Thank you so, so much for the reviews! They encouraged me to get out this next update as fast as I possibly could. It's less action packed, and filled with a bit more fluff. I really hope you like it!! Sorry this AN is so short, but I'm supposed to be "sleeping." Psh, no. Once again, I hope you like this chapter and I will try my best to post another one within the next couple days. Thank you so much for your reviews and patience! I appreciate it so much! You all are amazing. Please leave a review for this chapter!! Thanks a million!!! :) **

It was the middle of the night before Raynea awoke again. She had forgotten where she was for the second time that day, and she felt a sense of relief once she recalled her location. She swung her legs over the side of the bed and got to her feet. After taking a moment to stretch, Raynea treaded through the darkness. She still didn't have a wand, so she didn't have any means to light a pathway for herself, but it was okay. She didn't have an exact destination; she just wanted to walk around a bit. It occurred to her that she had been sleeping for hours, so some time to be up and around would be for the best.

Raynea groped for the doorway before twisting the knob and entering the hall. From what she could remember, Luke's flat had a very simple layout. There were two bedrooms in the hallway and one bathroom. The kitchen was to the left of the apartment, and the living room was to the right. It wasn't much, but it was an extremely welcoming place. Raynea bit her lip as she continued to fumble through the darkness, and felt herself relax once she turned into the living room. She could barely make out the outline of the couch as she walked further into the space. Raynea wished her eyes would adjust to the dark faster, for it was difficult to move around without the fear of running into something.

She slid in front of the couch and attempted to take a seat, but, before she could do so, she tripped over her own feet and toppled into the seat face first. Raynea cried out as she landed on something firm and her stomach tightened as she felt something move beneath her. Suddenly, a hand had grasped a fistful of her hair and a wand was pushed against her throat. Raynea breathed heavily as her eyes picked up on a pale hue right before her eyes. She sighed in realization.

"Draco…it's me," Raynea announced pointedly.

She heard him growl irritably as he released her, causing her to slide onto the floor in front of him.

"What in the bleeding hell are you doing here in the middle of the night?" Draco demanded.

"Sorry…" she returned sheepishly.

"Oy."

Raynea furrowed her brow before Draco uttered something else.

"Lumos."

A bright light shot forth from his wand and illuminated the space around them. Now, Raynea could clearly see Draco's face. He appeared to be exhausted, which wasn't much of a surprise. However, there was a certain look of worry in his eyes. It reminded Raynea of how he had looked in the last few months of their sixth year at Hogwarts. She was immensely concerned and her eyes softened as she gazed upon him.

"You never answered my question."

"What?" Raynea asked, shaking her head rapidly.

"What're you doing here?"

"Oh…well…I just woke up all of a sudden, and…I dunno…I needed to be up and about for a little while."

"That's not surprising," Draco stated roughly, "You were out cold for a whole bloody day."

"Well, I couldn't exactly help it, now could I?" Raynea countered agitatedly.

"Remember to bring your ruddy wand next time," he said in annoyance, "If you had, you would've been able to defend yourself properly, instead of getting your ass handed to you."

"Where was I supposed to put it? My dress didn't have pockets," Raynea shot back.

"Most girls would've stowed it away in their chests, but since that's something you're sorely lacking…"

"Okay, you're really making me hate you right now," Raynea told him angrily.

"That's the thanks I get for saving your ruddy life?" Draco grumbled, "Remind me to leave you to die next time."

Raynea inhaled deeply, but didn't offer him a reply. He had a point; he _did _save her. She wasn't exactly acting grateful. She folded her lips before moving onto the couch beside him. Her action was unexpected, but he didn't question it.

"You're right…I'm sorry."

Draco raised his eyebrows in smug surprise and smirked.

"Of course I'm right," he said.

Raynea smiled softly as she gave him a knowing look. He furrowed his brow and narrowed his eyes at her suspiciously.

"What're you going on about?" Draco demanded.

She cast her eyes downward for a second, then returned them to his face. His confusion seemed to grow at this.

"I'm still waiting for my bloody 'thank you'," he reminded her firmly, ignoring her odd behavior.

There was short period of time where neither of them moved nor spoke, but Raynea kept her eyes fixed upon him. Draco grew more puzzled by the second, but, abruptly, her manner started to make sense.

Raynea reached forward and placed her hand upon the side of his face before pulling him towards her and pressing her lips against his with force. She held his face onto hers for quite awhile, and when she finally released him, Draco stared at her with wide eyes. He seemed shocked…and a bit conceited. It was a strange mixture of emotions.

"That was one helluva 'thank you'," he stated breathlessly. Raynea just sat there and looked at him, but the smile had faded from her face. Only a moment passed before Draco leaned in for more, but she eased herself away from him, much to his irritation. He shot her a murderous glare as she got to her feet.

"Thank you," Raynea said, clearing her throat loudly.

"Whatever," he mumbled as he crossed his arms over his chest.

She inhaled sharply and started towards her room, but stopped suddenly and turned to face him once again.

"If there's anything that I can do for you…to show my appreciation..."

"Well…" Draco trailed off with a smirk as he raised his eyebrows at her suggestively.

Raynea groaned in annoyance.

"If there's anything _else _I can do…just lemme know," she verified.

"Actually," he began cockily, leaping up from the couch and walking up towards her, "What I could really use is a good night's sleep. This piece of crap has no bleeding back support."

Draco gestured to the couch and stared at her expectantly.

"What'd you suggest I do about that?" Raynea inquired.

"I was thinking we could do a little swap. You take the couch, so I can get some bloody privacy in the guestroom," Draco explained conceitedly.

"Are you kidding me?" she demanded as her jaw dropped, "Isn't it polite for gentlemen to let the lady have her own room?"

"Who said I was a gentleman?" he shot back mockingly, "And you sure as hell aren't a 'lady'…"

Raynea narrowed her eyes at him and placed her hands on her hips. She really regretted the kiss she had given him just five minutes previously.

"Fine. Take my room," she gave in impatiently.

"Well, if you're sure," Draco responded with feigned innocence as he headed towards the hallway.

Raynea rolled her eyes as she collapsed onto the couch and pulled a blanket over her cold body. It was going to be a long, uncomfortable night.

***

The next morning, Raynea woke up to a heavenly smell. Her eyes slowly opened and she smiled. It seemed as though Luke was going all out for his new house guests. She rose from her position on the couch and traveled into the kitchen. There, she saw a huge spread of breakfast foods laid out across the table. Luke had just taken a seat, and offered her a grin as he saw Raynea enter the room.

"Take a seat and start eating," he ordered good naturedly, "Get some meat on your bones. I swear, you get skinnier every time I see you."

Raynea rolled her eyes playfully as she slid into the chair beside him and began to load pancakes onto her plate. Luke did the same, and after they both had collected all the contents of their meal, he began to question her about everything that had been going on in her life lately.

"So…you're letter wasn't totally clear," Luke began curiously, "Do you mind filling me in? Why exactly do you and Draco need to stay here?"

"Well," Raynea replied uneasily, "we're sort of…in hiding…"

"In hiding?" he repeated in shock, "From who?"

"Draco didn't tell you any of this?" she asked, evading his questioning.

"There wasn't really much time," Luke told her, "I had to mend your wound. If I hadn't acted fast…"

He trailed off for a moment and cleared his throat before gazing into her eyes.

"Anyway…you need to tell me what's going on, Raynea," Luke said firmly, "You're letter was so vague. I mean, you can stay here as long as you like, but I need to know all the details. Now, why are you hiding?"

Raynea bit her lip and stared down at the table shakily. Explaining her circumstances to Luke wasn't going to be easy, especially considering that Draco was an ex-Death Eater. He probably wouldn't take that news too well.

"Death Eaters are after Draco," she admitted after some time had passed.

Luke's eyes widened as his jaw dropped.

"What? Why? He's just a kid."

"Yeah, a kid who ditched their cause," Raynea answered gravely, "They want him back…or they wanna kill him…or something…"

"Wait a minute, he's a Death Eater?" Luke demanded.

"He _was _a Death Eater," she verified, "He's not anymore."

"Are you sure?"

"Believe me, we're sure," Raynea assured him, "We went through great lengths to make sure he was telling the truth."

"Right," Luke said uncomfortably, seeming to be aware of what she was referring to, "Well…er…I guess a Death Eater attack would explain where your wound came from."

"Draco didn't tell you what happened?"

"Like I said, there wasn't any time," Luke reminded her, "I didn't ask. I figured I would find out when you woke up…"

There was a short, tense silence between them, which Luke broke abruptly.

"So, a Death Eater did that to you, huh?"

"Yeah…" Raynea returned quietly, "…It was Tristan."

Luke froze and stared at her with wide eyes. His expression suddenly became irate at the mention of her half brother's name. The fork fell from his hand and clattered against his plate, but Luke hardly seemed to notice.

"I don't believe it…"

"I know," Raynea agreed as she sighed. There was more silence, and she took this time to move onto another topic. Tristan was a bit of a sore subject.

"But…uh…yeah…that's basically everything you need to know," she stated, twirling her fork in her hand unsteadily, "And…er…there were a few things I wanted to ask you about…"

"Go for it," Luke instructed as his usual cheery mannerisms replaced his previously dark ones.

"Well…what exactly happened when Draco brought me here?"

"Uh…not much," Luke informed her, running a hand through his hair, "He basically just showed up on my doorstep with you in his arms…and…uh…he seemed pretty spooked. The bloke was crying and shaking like mad."

Raynea's heart broke as she pondered Luke's description. She hated to think of Draco in such a state. Even if his cockiness did piss her off, she preferred it to seeing him in hysterics. At this point, she didn't regret kissing him. He had done a lot for her; he deserved to see how much she appreciated it.

"Hey, Rayne?" Luke called out as a broad smile covered his face.

"Yeah?"

"Correct me if I'm wrong, but are you and this bloke…er…involved?"

Raynea glared at Luke violently as she widened her eyes in astonishment. He was getting was too much amusement out of this. Did her seriously just ask her such a question? It was almost like he knew that she had had a history with Draco. However, she would make it clear that she was _not _involved with Draco Malfoy in any way, shape or form.

"No way," Raynea exclaimed with conviction.

Luke chuckled at her frantic behavior and shot her a disbelieving look.

"I saw the way he was looking at you," he pointed out as he raised his eyebrows, "…and with the way you talk about him…there's gotta be something going on."

"No…no…never…" Raynea replied in rapid succession.

"Come on, Raynea. I'm not an idiot. Are you two together?"

Raynea opened her mouth to reply, but was interrupted by the sound of footsteps and a voice coming from behind her.

"She bloody wishes," Draco announced smugly as he crossed the room and plopped into the seat across from her. Luke laughed and gave her another look as Raynea's cheeks turned a light shade of pink.

"Don't get embarrassed, McCoy," Draco stated mockingly, "He knows I'm only joking."

"Yes, you _are _joking," Raynea verified desperately as she turned to Luke, "He was just joking."

"I've heard," Luke answered amusedly.

"We…never…no…just no!" she continued on, growing increasingly anxious as she made more attempts to defend herself.

"He gets it," Draco told her roughly.

Raynea swallowed a lump in her throat as she straightened up in her chair. She decided to let the matter drop before making an even bigger fool out of herself, and resumed eating her breakfast. The three sat in silence for awhile, which was interrupted by Luke.

"So, since we're all conscious, I guess its time to decide on sleeping arrangements," he announced reasonably.

Draco's eyes flickered over to Raynea and he smirked. She shot him a violent glare while Luke just watched them in amusement.

"I'm already taken care of," Draco said arrogantly before gesturing to Raynea, "She's the vagrant."

Luke offered them both confused looks and turned to Raynea inquisitively.

"Draco's taking the guestroom," she explained bitterly.

"Oh…uh…all right," Luke agreed with a shrug, "I guess you can take my room, then."

"No way, Luke. We're already enough of a burden as it is," Raynea objected, "The couch is good enough for me."

"You're my guest, though," Luke countered as he smiled.

"Why don't both the guests just stay in the guestroom…together?" Draco chimed in, smirking devilishly.

Raynea gave him a look of disgust as Luke chuckled. He seemed to take an instant liking to Draco, which simply bewildered Raynea. She certainly didn't find his crude jokes to be amusing, especially since they were at her expense.

"The couch is _fine_," she stated through gritted teeth as she continued to glare at Draco violently.

Luke shook his head and laughed harder as he looked from Draco to Raynea.

"And you two say there's nothing going on…"

Raynea squeezed her fork irately and rolled her eyes. Their new living arrangements would be interesting, to say the least. As she continued to ponder this, Draco brought another issue to Luke's attention.

"I hope you have some extra clothes here, otherwise we're gonna have a huge problem," he said gruffly, "I sure as hell don't wanna walk around this place starkers. Raynea would probably have a bleeding heart attack."

She was suddenly ripped away from her musings at this comment, and sighed deeply. Draco had no concept of being on company behavior. That was obvious. Once again, Luke laughed before hopping up to his feet.

"I've got a few old things you could wear," he answered kindly as he gestured towards his room, "Come on."

Draco smirked at Raynea, then followed Luke into the hallway. She remained in her seat and smiled despite herself.

"_Dammit Malfoy…stop being so disgusting…and charming…_"

Raynea shook her head and decided to focus on eating her meal. There was no need to think about her feelings so early in the morning. It was simply exhausting.

***

Later that morning, Raynea realized that she was having the same problem as Draco: she had no clothes to change into. She was still wearing her blood stained bridesmaids' dress, and found that it would be best to get something more practical to wear. She confronted Luke with this problem, who seemed uneasy as he thought of a solution.

"Well…er…I think I have a few things…" he trailed off for a moment as he gazed at the ground with heavy eyes. Luke shook his head before carrying on, "I…uh…I have some of Aurora's clothes here that you could wear…"

Raynea's teeth clenched and she felt overwhelmed by an intense feeling of depression. She glanced up at Luke, who appeared to be experiencing similar emotions. After a minute passed, he forced a smile and tilted his head towards his room.

"Do you want me to show where they are?"

Raynea folded her lips and nodded, while Luke led her into his bedroom. His accommodations were very simple, much like the rest of the apartment. There was a full sized bed pushed into the corner of the room with a short, cluttered nightstand right beside it. The closet was to the right of the bed, and there was a wide dresser sitting in the space across from it. Raynea inhaled sharply as she watched Luke kneel down in front of his dresser and open the bottom drawer. The entire thing housed strictly female clothes. It wasn't surprising that Aurora would demand a space for a section of her wardrobe. It was one of her quirky qualities, but it was also very endearing. Raynea beamed as she squatted down beside Luke and began sorting through the myriad of clothes in the drawer. She rested her hand upon one of the sweaters sitting on top of the stack and let it linger there as she was rushed with old memories. Luke seemed to understand her nostalgia, for he quickly rose back up to full height and started towards the door.

"Take some time to look through them," he suggested empathetically, "There's no rush."

She grinned as unwanted tears coated her eyes.

"Thanks."

In the next instant, she was alone. Raynea blinked back the moisture in her eyes as she continued to rummage through the dresser. Each one of Aurora's clothing items had a memory attached to them. Being in Luke's flat really did remind her of her sister. It wasn't surprising though; Luke and Aurora were so close, it would be strange if Raynea hadn't recalled memories of her. Tears reluctantly rolled down her cheeks, but she was in no hurry to wipe them away. There was no one there to see her in a moment of weakness. She began placing some of the articles of clothing on the floor as she continued her search. A sob escaped from her, and Raynea hated herself for it. She cast her eyes downwards as she clutched one of Aurora's shirts remorsefully.

Then, she heard a faint sound coming from the doorway. Raynea whipped her head to the side and was shocked to see that Draco had just entered the room. Her eyes widened in embarrassment as she quickly wiped the tears from her face. He wore an agitated yet concerned expression, taking a step forward and resting his hand against the dresser as he gazed down at her.

"Why are you always bloody crying?" he questioned in annoyance. Raynea ignored his gruffness and shrugged without giving him a verbal reply. Draco sighed at her lack of response and rolled his eyes.

"You don't have to be ashamed of it," he told her roughly, "I've seen you bawl your eyes out before, and I gotta tell you, its way more fun to see you when you're angry."

She smiled ironically, then leaned her back against the bed and brought her knees up to her chest. Draco furrowed his brow.

"What's wrong with you?" he asked edgily.

"It's nothing you'd care about," Raynea told him.

"Try me," Draco challenged, raising an eyebrow.

She exhaled and closed her eyes briefly. Was there really any point in explaining her troubles to Draco? He might care…but it was unlikely. However, he probably wouldn't leave her alone until she admitted it, so she figured she should just tell him the truth.

"You probably won't remember this," she began as more tears fell from her eyes, "but last year…after you said you didn't wanna be with me…you found me in the hallway one day…and I was crying—"

"And I brought you in my bloody embrace," Draco interrupted impatiently, raising his eyebrows, "Yeah, I remember. You never did tell me what you were going on about."

"Well…it's my sister...she's been missing for almost a year, now," Raynea told him shakily, "...I know she's probably dead. Luke thinks so…"

Draco sighed as he ran a hand through his hair, then treaded over to her. He sat beside her with his knees propped up and his elbows resting against them. After taking a second to arrange himself, he turned his head towards her with a rough yet compassionate look on his face. It was strange how Draco always appeared arrogant, even when he was trying to convey a different emotion. However, Raynea knew that he felt bad for her. He wouldn't have been so slow to reply otherwise.

"Were Luke and your sister doing the deed or something?"

She rolled her eyes and laughed softly. She knew what he meant, but he was just so uncouth, he couldn't ask the question in a normal manner. It was a bit humorous.

"They were together," Raynea verified.

"That's gotta be tough on the bloke," Draco stated as he winced, "…and on you."

She nodded and dried her eyes.

"Yeah…it really is."

Draco remained quiet for a second as he reached forward and pulled one of Aurora's sweaters out of the dresser. He held it up and examined it shortly, then directed his attention towards Raynea once again.

"I'm guessing this was hers?"

"Yep."

Draco shifted in his spot uncomfortably and ripped his eyes away from her. Raynea knew him so well…she could understand why he was acting this way. He felt extremely bad for her. She just knew it. It was almost as if he had told her somehow.

"You should wear it," he told her firmly, dropping the sweater into her lap and keeping his eyes aimed forward, "…she'd want you to wear it."

Raynea stared at him in surprise and smiled.

"…it probably won't look very good on you, but it's better than running around in that bloody, gold rag," Draco added on with a smirk, gesturing towards her dirty bridesmaids' dress.

She glared at the ceiling in frustration before getting up to her feet. Draco followed suit and glanced down at her intensely.

"I guess I'll go change," Raynea sighed.

"Knock yourself out."

She grinned, then headed towards the door. Before exiting, Raynea glimpsed over her shoulder.

"Thank you, Draco."

He folded his lips and nodded solemnly for second. Suddenly, the smirk returned to his face, causing Raynea to smile reluctantly.

"You owe me another snog then, I guess," he called after her smugly.

"In your dreams, Malfoy."

With that, Raynea traveled into the bathroom, unable to suppress the grin that tugged at the corners of her mouth.


	13. Chapter 13

**Author's Note: Thank you so much for the reviews and encouragement! I really, really appreciate it! Sorry that I can't update as often. I tried to make this chapter more exciting/drama packed for your entertainment. I hope you like it a lot! I don't have school tomorrow, so I'm hoping I'll be able to post another chapter by either tonight or the next day. Thank you for the patience and understanding! Please, please review! It means a lot! Thanks so, so much!!! :) **

About two months had gone by, and everything was relatively calm. Raynea and Draco adjusted to living with Luke rather quickly. They had gotten a routine down. Unfortunately, Raynea and Draco weren't able to leave the apartment much. It would be too risky. This caused them both to grow antsy, but they preferred being bored to being captured by Death Eaters. Luke tried his best to keep things interesting, though. He was an excellent host, but, despite the lack of action, Raynea grew more anxious by the day. Once she had a chance to process everything that had happened at the wedding, worry consumed her. She had no idea what had happened to her friends or any of the other guests. She had been so desperate to protect Draco that she hadn't even thought of anyone else.

Though, now that she had a few weeks to ponder the situation, Raynea was constantly worrying about Harry, Ron and Hermione. Had they escaped? Were they now looking for the horcruxes? Why hadn't they made any attempts to contact her? Tons of questions went through her mind, but she didn't have answers to any of them. She had become a nervous wreck over the course of the past few weeks, and it was quite debilitating. Draco and Luke had noticed this, but there wasn't much they could do. Plus, Draco was a bit tense, himself. He _was _the one being hunted, after all. However, Raynea and Draco had been getting along much better than usual. They still fought quite a bit, but overall, things between them were improving.

Difficult times were approaching, though. They would have to make some tough decisions. Mainly, they would have to find a new place to live. It was late November, and they had already been at Luke's for too long. They had to keep moving; otherwise they'd be too easily found. Raynea agonized over deciding their next course of action. Where could they go? She brought this problem to Luke and Draco's attention one evening at dinner, but neither one was really helpful in making a choice.

"You two can stay here for awhile longer," Luke said rationally, "What's the rush?"

"The longer we stay here, the easier it will become for the Death Eaters to track us down," Raynea told him gravely.

"Well, you don't have to decide on anything tonight," Luke replied, "You have time."

"That's the thing—we really don't."

"Don't get your knickers in a twist, McCoy," Draco interjected rudely, "We can wait it out at least until Christmas."

"Are you mad?" Raynea demanded with wide eyes, "That's way too long to wait. We have to keep moving."

"Draco's right, Rayne," Luke chimed in, "You _have_ time…relax."

Raynea rolled her eyes and let them linger upon the ceiling for a moment. They had no idea what they were talking about. Both she and Draco were nearly killed because they had stayed in one place for too long. What made them think that this time would be different? Not to mention, Raynea didn't want to put Luke's life in jeopardy. He had already risked so much for them.

Abruptly, she was torn away from her thoughts as Luke offered them another piece of information.

"Oh, I forgot to tell you two," he began wearily, "I'm going to be out of town for the next few days."

"What?...Why?" Raynea questioned as she furrowed her brow. This was quite unexpected.

"It's my mum's birthday," Luke explained, rolling his eyes as he spoke, "She wants me to spend the weekend with her." He paused for a moment and stared at Raynea in surprise. The expression on her face was one of fearful confusion. At this, he proceeded with his explanation, "It'll only be for a few days, I promise. You two will be okay staying here alone, right?"

Raynea swallowed a lump in her throat as her eyes flickered over to Draco. He looked both smug and concerned. It was odd. On the one hand, he probably got some satisfaction out of the idea of them being alone all weekend, but he also seemed to be discomfited by the fact that they would have no adult protection. If Death Eaters showed up, he and Raynea wouldn't stand a chance. Though, the odds of them making an appearance were very slim. Nevertheless, Raynea thought the entire idea was a disaster waiting to happen, and she could tell that Draco was more pleased by the situation than upset. Why did it seem like she was the only voice of reason lately?

"We'll be fine," Draco answered after a long pause. He shrugged, then continued to pick at his meal. Raynea's eyes trailed over to Luke and she offered him a smile. She didn't want to hold him back. They were such a burden; she didn't want to disrupt his normal life even more then they already had.

"Yeah, it's no problem," Raynea agreed optimistically.

"You sure?" Luke asked as he folded his lips.

"Positive," she verified with a grin.

"I'm really sorry, guys," Luke told them after another silence came over them, "I don't mean to leave you like this—"

"Don't worry about it, Luke," Raynea stated, "Really, we'll be fine. It's just for a few days."

"Yeah, I'll leave tomorrow and be back on Sunday, I swear," Luke assured them.

"No worries, mate," Draco responded, his voice growing in arrogance as he continued on, "I'm sure we'll find ways to keep busy while you're gone."

He shot Raynea a twisted smile as he raised his eyebrows. He was patronizing her…as usual. She grunted in disgust before choosing to ignore him, and offering Luke more comforting words.

"Everything will be fine," Raynea said brightly, "Like you said, we still have some time left before we have to worry about things."

"I guess," Luke agreed with a shrug.

So, it was official. Luke would be gone the _entire _weekend. Raynea wasn't too concerned…everything would be fine, right? They were safe. They were hidden. No one would be able to find them. Still, fear consumed her and her anxiety went into overdrive. However, Raynea wouldn't allow herself to tell Luke about her worries. Even if he seemed reluctant to visit his mother, he had the right to do what he wanted to do. He deserved to live his life. Though, her obsessive thoughts were overwhelming. Raynea tried not to focus on her fear, but to focus on her inevitable annoyance instead. Over the course of the weekend, Draco would find a way to piss her off. She just knew it. The idea of them being completely alone in such close quarters was destined to result in some sort of conflict. It was simply bound to happen.

***

The following day, Luke apparated to his mother's house as planned, leaving Draco and Raynea with lots of spare time. There wasn't really much to do, especially since they weren't allowed to set foot out of the flat. In fact, there was such a lack of stimulation that the two spent the whole day sleeping. Raynea had moved into Luke's room upon his absence, so it was much easier to get comfortable. Though, as she phased in and out of consciousness, all she could do was worry. She was extraordinarily anxiety ridden that day, so much that she couldn't even bear to be awake. Raynea was glad that Draco hadn't chosen to bother her all day. It seemed as though he had picked up on her discomfort and decided to keep his distance. However, she was in desperate need of a distraction.

Just after the sun had set, Draco strolled into Luke's room to talk to her about dinner plans. He looked exhausted despite the fact that he had spent the whole day sleeping. Raynea suspected that he was worried, also. He had every right to be. Upon his entrance, she remained tucked under the covers of the bed, too lazy to force herself to move. Draco stood at her bedside, staring down at her amusedly.

"Are you ever going to get out of this bloody bed?" he demanded.

"Yeah…eventually," Raynea answered with a sigh. Draco rolled his eyes.

"Get up and fix some dinner," he ordered impatiently, "I haven't eaten a thing all frigging day."

She shot him a piercing glare as her jaw dropped slightly.

"Make it yourself."

"Please," Draco scoffed, "I don't cook for myself. It takes the joy out of the whole ruddy meal. Besides, you're a girl…isn't this sorta thing your job?"

"You're two seconds away from getting a swift kick in the ass," Raynea warned through gritted teeth.

He smirked and shrugged, causing her to grow more irritated. Not only was she a nervous wreck, but Draco was acting especially annoying. These two things were not an ideal combination. Raynea sluggishly rose into a sitting position and ripped the blankets away from her body. Draco seemed extremely arrogant for a moment; he thought he was getting what he wanted.

"Get your own bloody dinner, Malfoy," Raynea said edgily as she got to her feet.

"Oh, come on—"

"Could you shut up, please?" she interrupted, unable to deal with anymore of his brass comments, "I'm really not in the mood for it today."

"I'll say," Draco commented rudely, "You're acting like more of a bint than usual. What gives?"

Raynea rolled her eyes as she crossed her arms over her chest nervously. She knew that she shouldn't have taken out her own fears on Draco, but he made it so easy for her to do so. His impudence only added to her frustration. Though, she knew she should explain herself. It was only fair.

"I'm sorry," she began uneasily, "I've just been really stressed out lately…it's hard to deal with all this stuff."

"You're telling me," he replied as he gave her a pointed look, "I'm the one with Death Eaters on my arse."

"I know," Raynea agreed, "You're right…I'm not the only who has things to worry about…I just wish I could calm down."

Draco stared at her with a hint of empathy in his eyes before another smirk graced his pale face.

"I think I can help you out," he stated wryly, turning his back on her and heading out of the room.

Raynea furrowed her brow before following after him, utterly mystified. He had traveled through the hallway so fast that her suspicions only grew. He was up to something…which really wasn't too surprising. She entered the kitchen to see Draco rooting around in some of the bottom cupboards, the sound of glass clattering echoing throughout the room. Raynea took a few steps towards him, when he abruptly popped back up to full height and dangled a tall, glass bottle in front of her face. The expression on his face could only be described as smug as Raynea shot him a disbelieving look.

"Firewhiskey?" she demanded, "Are you mad?"

"Probably," Draco answered with a shrug.

"What do you think drinking Firewhiskey will accomplish?"

"Bloody hell, McCoy," he began in frustration, "You're the one who said you wanted to feel better; I'm just offering a solution."

"Well, this isn't exactly what I had in mind," she told him.

"Merlin, you're difficult to please," Draco returned harshly.

"No, I'm just smart enough to know that this is a stupid idea," Raynea quipped with raised eyebrows.

"So, what if it is? You've gotta admit…it'd really do the trick," Draco pointed out arrogantly.

She narrowed her eyes at him, but had no response. He sort of had a point…what could it hurt? Raynea desperately wanted to forget her troubles. Maybe doing something completely ridiculous would help to ease her anxiety. Suddenly, she offered him a haughty look and grabbed the bottle out of his hand. Raynea brought it up to her mouth and violently took a swig of the bitter liquid. She winced as she swallowed, then smiled pointedly. Draco seemed both shocked and impressed as he stared upon her. Raynea unexpectedly whipped around and strutted towards the living room as he gazed after her with a look of intense desire.

"Are you coming or what, Malfoy?" she called back to him.

Draco's smirk grew as he sighed in satisfaction.

"Believe me, McCoy…I'm right behind you."

***

Draco's eyes were fixed upon Raynea and laughter threatened to escape from his lips. He smirked to keep himself contained as he simply watched her take more sips from the half empty bottle of Firewhiskey. She had drunken most of it herself, actually. In fact, Draco only had taken one or two swigs from the bottle; the rest was all Raynea. Obviously, she was completely smashed. She had been rambling on about something trivial for the last five minutes, an idiotic smile gracing her face the entire time. In a way, Draco was fascinated. Even when she was drunk, Raynea still acted like herself. Yes, she was louder and lacking her inhibitions, but she was ultimately still Raynea. Draco just watched her, simply intrigued. He wasn't really listening to what she was saying, and she didn't take notice. She just kept going on and on.

This continued for quite awhile, and eventually the hour grew late. At this point, Draco was pretty exhausted. However, Raynea had remained abnormally animated. While he was still amused, Draco wished to put an end to their association for the evening. All he really craved was sleep.

"All right, McCoy," he began as he rose to his feet, "The party's over for the evening. It's time to get some sleep."

"No way," Raynea exclaimed, her words slurred, "It's way too early for that."

"It's midnight," Draco replied pointedly, "It's time for bed."

He leaned forward and grasped her arm, but Raynea instantly tore herself from him and laughed hysterically at her own action.

"Come on, bint. I'm exhausted," Draco growled.

"No, you're drunk…that's why you're so tired…stop drinking, Draco!" she shot back rapidly before giggling, "Draco…who names their kid 'Draco'?"

He rolled his eyes and pitched forward to grab her arm again, this time with more force. Not only was he tired, but now he was pissed. Draco was successful in keeping hold of her the second time, and dragged her to her feet. This prompted Raynea to squeal and pull against him. He merely tightened his grip as he tugged her towards her room.

"Let go!"

"You're going to sleep," he told her gruffly, "I'm not putting up with this the entire bloody night."

"You're cranky," Raynea responded drunkenly, "…and bossy…I kinda like it…"

Draco's eyes widened and he stopped abruptly before spinning around to face her. He stared at her briefly.

"You're drunker than I thought," he said with strain in his voice, resuming their trek to her room.

"Ow! You're pulling too hard," Raynea shrieked before laughing loudly.

"Shut up," Draco grunted.

They finally reached their destination, much to Raynea's dismay. Draco guided her to the bed and pushed her into a sitting position. She squirmed around, but he forced her downward once again.

"Stay here, you silly bint," Draco ordered impatiently, "Lie down."

"I don't wanna," Raynea stated petulantly.

"Oy."

After another moment, Draco had pushed her across the bed so that she was lying down, causing her to giggle madly.

"Would you mind telling me what is so bleeding funny?" he asked harshly.

"You're skin does this thing when you're mad…you're all red…"

Draco looked off to the side in irritation as he ripped the covers from beneath her and placed them on top of her body. She moved around in the bed and sighed heavily.

"I'm not tired."

"For Merlin's sake…just pretend you are…" Draco responded brutally, treading towards the door, "Good night."

He didn't wait for a reply, but immediately relocated to the guestroom instead. After closing the door behind him, Draco collapsed onto his bed and closed his eyes exhaustedly.

"_The Firewhiskey was such a bleeding mistake_…" he thought as he rolled over onto his side.

He was beginning to fade into a dreamland, but he was still slightly aware of his surroundings. A few minutes went by before Draco heard the sound of his door swinging open. He supposed he could be imagining things, for he was quite tired. However, he was unfortunate to discover that this was not the case. All of a sudden, Draco felt his bed sink beside him and his eyes instantly shot open. Raynea was lying right beside him, staring at him with wide eyes. He groaned and sat up, which alerted her to follow his action.

"Did I not say that it was time to go to sleep?" Draco inquired fiercely.

"I don't feel like it," Raynea answered, her words sounding shakier than they had before, "I don't wanna be by myself."

"Well, you're sure as hell not staying in here," he informed her rudely, "I'm bloody exhausted."

Raynea beamed as more bellows of laughter caused her body to shake. She unexpectedly scooted closer to him, the grin never leaving her face.

"I love the way you talk," she stated.

Draco shot her a doubtful look as his eyes widened in surprise. He definitely didn't expect this from her. She certainly was a silly drunk.

"Yeah? Well, you'll love it even more in the morning when you've had time to sleep."

"No," Raynea insisted as she shook her head, "I don't wanna…"

"I don't give a damn," Draco returned violently.

There was a short silence where she simply gazed upon him, completely captivated. He furrowed his brow as she moved so that she was right up against him and grabbed his arm before resting her head on his shoulder.

"Have I ever told you about your eyes?" she asked, hardly intelligible.

Draco grew more shocked as his stomach began to clench. Suddenly, he forgot about how tired he was.

"They're so…grey," she sputtered, "…I like them."

Raynea nodded, as if to agree with her own assertion before smiling at him goofily. Draco's stomach tightened even more as she continued on. She was drunk, so he knew that he shouldn't be so taken in by her words, but he couldn't help it. He shook his head to remove the musings from his mind and pushed her away from him.

"You really need to go to bed, McCoy…it's…late."

"No," she interjected, "I wanna stay here with you."

"Okay, you're so drunk…" Draco uttered as his breathing became uneven.

"You're drunk," Raynea shot back with a chuckle.

"Come on," he commanded severely, tugging on her arm to bring her up to her feet.

"Lemme stay here with you," she pleaded, grabbing onto either one of his shoulders.

Draco looked down at her hands as his chest heaved up and down uneasily.

"No," he said firmly, "Now, let's get a move on."

"Do you not like me anymore?" Raynea questioned.

He closed his eyes as if he were in pain, and scowled before shooting her a slightly less piercing look.

"It's not that—you just really gotta go to your own bloody room."

"I'm staying here…with you," she told him resolutely.

Draco grinded his teeth and simply gazed ahead at her for a minute. Abruptly, he ripped himself from his thoughts once again.

"Raynea…"

"Why don't you call me that more?"

"What?"

"You should call me that more."

He glanced down solemnly and closed his eyes. Why did she have to be completely trashed to say all these things to him?

"Don't be sad," Raynea said unexpectedly.

"I'm not sad, you moron," Draco snapped as his eyes fell upon her face once more, "I just want you to get the hell outta here and go to bed. Now, come on."

He got to his feet and dragged her upwards onto hers. After standing up for only a second, Raynea's knees buckled. Draco grabbed her before she toppled to the floor and supported her against his body so that she wouldn't fall again. He rolled his eyes and she merely laughed.

"I'll carry you to your bleeding bed if I have to."

"You can carry me…I would want you to," Raynea informed him drunkenly.

"Stop talking like this, McCoy," he warned.

She cocked her head to the side and plainly gazed at him. Draco made another attempt to pull her towards the door, but Raynea collapsed backwards onto the bed and gripped his arm so that he fell beside her.

"Graceful as always…" he trailed off sarcastically. She laughed uncontrollably for a moment, before all expressions were wiped away from her face. Raynea moved against Draco again and looked at him with interest.

"What?" he demanded.

There was a short pause in which she smiled and brought her face closer to his.

"I love you."

Draco felt like his entire body had been stunned as his heart raced excitedly. The blood pumping through his veins was hot, and his skin was covered in sweat. He stared at her as his eyes widened. Once the initial shock had passed, Draco felt anger rush through him. Raynea wasn't in her right state of mind. There was no way she would make such a confession if she was. He hated that this was the only way she could admit her feelings.

"Now she tells me," he muttered bitterly, casting his eyes downward and sighing.

"I love you," Raynea repeated, "…I hate that you're not with me."

"What?"

"I hate it."

Draco's body tensed up as she eased herself on top of him and kissed him softly on the cheek. He allowed her to continue this action for a minute, then pushed her onto her back and sat up as he breathed unsteadily.

"Stop it, McCoy," he ordered, "You're not yourself."

"Yes I am."

She brought herself upright and wrapped her arms around his neck tightly as her lips grazed his jaw line.

"Yes I am," she told him again.

"This isn't you, Raynea," Draco said breathlessly, taking her by the wrists and forcing her away from him.

"It is me."

"No…you would never act like this."

"Yes," she returned simply.

Draco released her and just gazed at her for a moment. His heart beat was still rapid, and sweat was now pouring down his back. He ran a hand through his hair as his chest moved up and down unevenly. Raynea just stared at him with a smile, which only added to his inability to breathe. As he continued to look upon her, Draco's body grew tenser.

"Screw this," he uttered before pinning her against the bed and crashing down on top of her. Draco brought his mouth onto hers roughly and she instantly went along with his movements. He ran his hand along the side of her body, and eventually rested it upon her hip while he tore his lips from hers and ran them along her neck instead. He could hear her shallow breaths in his ear, which only caused him to become more intense in his actions. Draco's hand trailed upwards from her hip and ran across her chest before he moved it back down to the bottom of her shirt. He allowed his fingers to move slightly under the fabric, when he stopped abruptly. Draco ripped his face from her neck and brought himself upwards so that he was hovering about a foot above her face. His eyes met hers and he growled in frustration.

"Dammit."

She didn't offer him a reply, but merely kept her glassy eyes fixed upon his face. Draco stayed in the same position as his sense battled his instincts.

"_I should do it…what do I care? I deserve it after all this…_"

Then, he looked at her and his mind went completely blank. He couldn't do this…Raynea had no idea what she was doing. He wanted to take advantage of her, he really did, but he just…couldn't…

Draco rolled onto his back so that he was beside her and stared up at the ceiling with a pained expression on his face.

"Go to sleep, Raynea."

Without replying, she finally gave in to his request and closed her eyes, but not before she grabbed his arm so that it was resting around her shoulder. She gripped his hand tightly and placed the back of her head on his chest. Draco felt his eyes grow heavy, and he recalled how tired he was. He decided not to fight against her on their sleeping arrangement, and closed his eyes. His stomach was filled with emptiness as he tried to ignore the depression that came over him. Draco was certain of one thing…

Raynea wouldn't remember any of this in the morning.

**(Another) Author's Note: I really hope you liked it! I'm not very good at writing for drunk people...so, sorry about that. Thanks for reading and please, please review! :) **


	14. Chapter 14

**Author's Note: Thank you so much for the reviews! They are greatly appreciated. As promised, here is another chapter. It's extremely short, but it kinda had to stand on its own. The next chapter is way too intense to be grouped with this sorta thing. But I promise, the next update will be longer. I'm hoping that I might be able to post again tomorrow, but I'm not sure if I'll be able to. Anyway, I really, really hope you enjoy this chapter. Please, please leave a review! They are good for motivation. Thanks so, so much!!! :) **

A sharp sensation shot through Raynea's head and she winced. She couldn't force herself to open her eyes, but she was definitely awake. The mind numbing pain alerted her to that fact. All of her limbs felt heavy as she attempted to shift to a more comfortable position, but she felt as though something was obstructing her ability to move—well, something besides the aching she felt all over her body. Raynea finally forced her eyes open, and found that the light that streamed onto her face only worsened her condition. She grimaced as she swallowed to get the awful taste out of her mouth. So many things were bothering her at the moment, but she had no idea why. Raynea grasped her forehead before turning onto her back. At this, she felt nothing but utter horror.

Her eyes trailed over to Draco, who was lying beside her with his arm resting across her stomach. She then realized that her head had been resting on his shoulder and they were practically right on top of one another. Raynea's eyes widened and she instantly rolled forward to put space between them, causing her to crash onto the ground with a shriek and a loud thud. She could hear Draco moving from her placement on the floor, and figured he must be awake. Her heart beat quickened as she remained flattened on the ground. Suddenly, he began to speak.

"What in the bleeding hell was that?"

Raynea slowly pushed herself into a sitting position, narrowing her eyes to dull the pain in her head. She stared up at Draco, who simply looked confused and tired. She had only one question for him: why the hell was she sleeping in the same bed as him? She honestly couldn't remember what had happened the night before, but she felt nothing but dread as she made assumptions as to what might have occurred. Raynea came to one, firm conclusion, and it caused her stomach to writhe in discomfort.

"What're you doing on the floor?" Draco asked roughly, scratching the sleep from his eyes.

Raynea simply glared at him for a second, then slowly rose to her feet. However, as soon as she did so, she had to sit down again immediately. Standing was definitely not an attainable goal, at the moment. She was trying so hard to piece together the events of the previous night, but she couldn't. Though, she was certain that once she was in a more stable state, she was going to kick Draco's ass.

"I think the better question is: what the hell was I doing in bed with you?" Raynea exclaimed, flinching at the register of her own voice. Loud noises were not something she could deal with currently.

Draco rolled his eyes and shrugged. He seemed unusually nonchalant, especially since Raynea expected him to be acting arrogant. He had finally gotten what she wanted, though she couldn't recall how he did so.

"Answer me, you jackass," Raynea snapped.

He stared at her piercingly before easing himself off the bed and towering above her. Raynea turned her head upwards so that she could look into his eyes, then forced herself to her feet, gripping onto the nightstand to keep herself steady. Draco remained silent, which only caused her to grow more enraged.

"You are such a jerk!" she shouted before squeezing her eyes shut as her headache worsened.

"Am I, now?" Draco questioned mockingly.

"Yes," Raynea verified, "Why—how could you—what was I doing in here all night?"

He cast his eyes downwards and still refused to give her a straight answer. Raynea took a step forward, though she kept a tight grasp on the nightstand.

"Never mind," she stated irately, "I know what happened…I can't believe this…actually, I can…You …bastard!"

Raynea snatched up his pillow and began to repeatedly hit him with it. She knew that her actions were completely ridiculous, but it seemed to be the proper punishment, at the time. Later, she would give him hell for this.

"Get a hold of yourself, you dumb bint!" Draco yelled, backing away as she continued to hit him. After a moment, he blocked one of the blows and took hold of the pillow before tossing it aside. Raynea glared at him as he regained his breath. All of a sudden, he appeared to be a tad angry, "Stop jumping to conclusions."

"I'm not jumping to conclusions," Raynea returned, "I know what happened…I don't know how it happened…but I know that it did."

"You have no idea what you're talking about," Draco told her harshly, "Wanna know what happened? Nothing."

"Please," she jeered as she crossed her arms over her chest, "Like I'm stupid enough to believe that."

"It's the bloody truth," he sneered.

"Yeah, right…the last thing I remember is drinking Firewhiskey, then I wake up the next morning in bed next to you…you lousy ponce!"

"I didn't do anything," Draco growled, "You were drunk off your ass, so I tried to make you go to sleep. I made sure you didn't wander off and fall off a bleeding cliff or something, and I held your hair while you puked your guts out all frigging night. That's what happened."

Raynea was taken aback by his confession, though a part of her still doubted him. Draco Malfoy would take advantage of her if he had the chance; there was no question about it.

"Bull," she countered.

"How about you look at the facts, dumbass?" Draco suggested brutally, "Note that we're both fully clothed before you go accusing me of something."

Raynea furrowed her brow and pitched her head forward to see that she was, as Draco said, completely dressed. She wasn't even that disheveled, despite the fact that she slept in her day clothes. She was stunned. It seemed as though Draco was telling her the truth. It was hard to believe that Draco _wouldn't _exploit her drunken state. She was simply confused.

"I don't understand," Raynea began with a puzzled look on her face.

"There's nothing to understand," he responded quietly. After a moment of silence, a slight smirk covered his face, "Besides, if something _had _happened between us, you would remember…trust me."

"Don't flatter yourself," she said in annoyance.

There was another period of quiet, and Draco's expression had changed drastically. He was staring down at the ground pensively, while Raynea kept her eyes fixed upon him. Something was bothering him, but she wasn't sure what. Abruptly, Draco's eyes trailed up to her face and he took a short step towards her.

"So…you don't remember anything from last night?" he inquired in a strained voice, "Nothing at all?"

"No," Raynea admitted as she shook her head, "Like I said, the last thing I remember is drinking Firewhiskey in the living room, but everything after that is blank."

Draco nodded sluggishly as a violent look graced his face. Raynea furrowed her brow and gulped. What was going on with him?

"Thanks for taking care of me, by the way," she stated softly, "Really…thank you."

"Please," he scoffed, "I just didn't want you to up chuck all over me in your sleep."

"Well, that wasn't disgusting at all," she answered sarcastically. There was more silence in which Draco started to smirk again. Raynea rolled her eyes.

"How bad's the hangover?"

"Pretty bad," she informed him before folding her lips, "Believe me when I say I will never drink Firewhiskey again."

"In spite of the puking, seeing you drunk was quite entertaining," Draco told her smugly.

Raynea groaned in embarrassment and sighed. She could only imagine how idiotic she must've looked.

"Did I say anything really stupid?" she asked insecurely.

Draco looked past her for a moment as the smirk faded from his face. He ran a hand through his hair and exhaled heavily.

"No. For once…" he trailed off and grunted in irritation, "…no, you didn't. No worries, McCoy."

"Good," she said with relief.

Draco shrugged and started towards the door.

"Get yourself some water, or you'll have that headache all bloody day," he called back to her sternly.

Raynea gazed after him and nodded. She had to admit that she owed Draco for taking care of her while she was drunk. Actually, she owed him more for not making fun of her for all the ridiculous things she probably did. It was surprising that he was acting so calmly, but she was grateful. Draco had proved for the first time in his life that he was actually a decent guy.


	15. Chapter 15

**Author's Note: I am so, so sorry it has taken me so long to update! School has been crazy, ugh. Anyway, I wanted to genuinely thank all who reviewed and encoruaged me to update. It is truly motivational, and I really appreciate it. Thank you! I couldn't make this chapter as long as I would've liked, but it's much longer than the last update, and way more action/drama packed. I really, really hope you enjoy it! Please, please leave a review! It is very much appreciated. I'm hoping to have the next chapter up within the next few days, but I'm not going to make any promises only because I'm not entirely sure. Again, I am so sorry for the wait. Anyway, I hope you enjoy! Thanks so, so much!!! :) **

Draco was in an extremely awful mood the remainder of the day, but he honestly didn't care if he came off that way. After what had happened the previous night and that morning, he thought he had every right to be annoyed. Actually, he was more frustrated than anything else, and he had tons of nervous energy. He supposed being cooped up was seriously starting to get to him, and it didn't help that he was all alone with the girl he loved and couldn't vent his lust. Well, he _could _have, but apparently he was too noble for that, which was something that didn't sit well with him. At this point, Draco wished he had done the wrong thing. He was too angry to care about Raynea's say in it.

Draco spent most of the day on his own, for Raynea was still recovering from her intense night of drinking. He supposed it was better this way. If they spent too much time together, he would probably end up punching her in the face—well, maybe not that, but he would've given her hell, one way or the other. Though, anytime they were in each other's vicinity, Draco would snap at her or purposefully raise his voice to aggravate the symptoms of her hangover. Obviously, Raynea was not amused by this, but she was too weak to give him any sort of real argument.

By the time the sun had set, she was in much better shape. Draco was honestly surprised when he saw her enter his room, looking a lot healthier than she had previously. She actually had color in her face, and the dark circles under her eyes had disappeared. He kept his eyes on her longer than he intended to as he lounged about his bed. She immediately walked towards his bed and sat on the floor in front of it, seeming weary about getting any closer than she had to. Draco felt rage channel through him, and he had every intention of letting it out. He deserved at least that.

"What're you doing in here?" Draco demanded, his tone already reflecting his impatience.

Raynea seemed quite taken aback by his harshness, and offered him a puzzled look before shaking her head.

"Well…uh…I just wanted to let you know that I'm doing better and—"

"That's bloody spectacular," he responded shortly, "Bye, now."

She was truly affected by this; Draco could see it in her eyes. She looked hurt, and thoroughly confused.

"_Good. Now the little bint knows how it feels_…" he thought in satisfaction.

"What's wrong?" Raynea inquired uneasily, "You're upset…"

"Don't you dare tell me how I feel," Draco snapped as he hoisted himself up into a sitting position. He knew that he was acting absolutely ridiculous, but that didn't matter to him. He was past his breaking point. Raynea was going to see how angry he truly was. He was done acting like everything was perfectly fine between them.

"What crawled up your arse and died?" she asked in annoyance.

"Nothing…and even if something had, it's none of your damn business," Draco returned gruffly. After another second, he realized what his last statement was implying. He rolled his eyes as Raynea stared at him with raised eyebrows.

"Er…okay…" she trailed off acidly, "Any particular reason why you're in such a lovely mood today?"

Draco glared at her and shrugged. He was feeling even more frustrated, especially since she was so close to him. There was so much anger between them, but it was matched with strong feelings. However, the love was definitely losing against everything else he felt.

"Fine…don't answer," Raynea said with an eye roll, "I was going to offer to make you dinner, but never mind."

"Well, I wouldn't have accepted your ruddy offer anyway," Draco told her matter-of-factly

"Well, it doesn't matter because I didn't even offer it, and even if I was going to, I wouldn't now."

"Well, even if you had, I would've said no."

"Well…you're a ponce."

"Nice comeback," he returned condescendingly.

"Ugh…I'm leaving," Raynea announced irritably as she rose to her feet and turned to head towards the door.

"Fine."

"Fine."

"Good."

"_Good_."

Draco gritted his teeth in frustration while Raynea placed her hand on the doorknob as she prepared to leave. He wanted her to go—but part of him also wanted her to stay. He was getting really tired of the conflicting emotions he always experienced when he was around her. Suddenly, Raynea spun back around to face him with a sharp expression on her face. Draco was surprised she hadn't left. He sighed heavily. It seemed to him that Raynea wasn't ready to let this one go.

"Why do you have to be such a bloody prick all the time?"  
"Good question," Draco stated coolly, pretending to ponder her accusations before his lips twisted up into a wry smile, "Why're _you _always such a bitch all the time?"

"I try to be nice to you, and you just spit in my face," Raynea countered as she narrowed her eyes.

"You…_nice_?" Draco scoffed, "That's a bloody laugh."

She glared at him with even more intensity as she stepped to a position in the middle of the room. Since Draco had risen from the bed, they were only a few feet apart. The rage induced tension in the room was extraordinary.

"Why're you acting like this?" Raynea questioned with both anger and honest curiosity in her voice. Draco was quiet for a few moments and really seemed to think about what she was asking him. His expression had been blank during this time, but it suddenly became fierce.

"You know what I'm sick of?" he shouted before pacing the room, "I'm sick of you treating me like shit. First, you dragged my heart around Hogwarts for years and used me just to satisfy your ruddy urges for a few months, then I leave and try to get you out of my mind and I can't. I risk my life and show up at the Weasley's dump of a house and admit that I'm in love with you. Then, you go and tell Potter that you love him, and then you look at me with your…stupid…eyes and you flip your…bloody hair…and I let my guard down like a bleeding moron. And then, you get plastered and—"

Draco abruptly stopped his rant as he exhaled slowly to get his temper under control. He ceased stomping about the room and took a long look at Raynea. She was staring at him with a sort of furious compassion in her eyes. It was extremely odd. Draco's chest heaved up and down as he attempted to calm himself down even further. Raynea unexpectedly took a few steps closer to him and gazed at him sharply. He shook his head in frustration.

"What did I do?" she inquired shakily.

"When?"

"Last night. I don't remember…" Raynea trailed off, unable to hide the quaking anger in her voice, "What did I do?"

Draco sighed. He really didn't want to tell her. Well, part of him did, just so he could say 'I told you so,' but he didn't want Raynea to admit her feelings like this. He actually wanted Raynea to soberly tell him the truth, but he was almost certain that would never happen. Though, Draco rather it never happen than have it happen like this. He was too proud to accept her drunken confession. He wanted the real deal, or nothing at all.

"You didn't do anything," he told her gruffly, "You puked all over my ruddy arm, but that was the worst of it."

"Fine," Raynea answered curtly.

"Fine," Draco repeated.

There was more silence, but it was shortly broken. Raynea glimpsed up at him with a serious expression before exhaling.

"I didn't know that…." she paused for a moment and swallowed a lump in her throat before pressing on, "I didn't know that I was doing all those things…I never realized."

Draco was mildly satisfied that she addressed his rant, but that wasn't at all the answer he wanted to hear. He rolled his eyes.

"Yeah, I'm sure you never had any idea…" he stated sarcastically.

"I didn't," Raynea insisted before her tone became sardonic, "Like you didn't know when you treated me like crap."

"Oh, I knew," Draco verified arrogantly, "I won't deny that."

"So, you knew what you were doing when you forced yourself on me last year?" she asked as a layer of tears coated her eyes.

His stomach contracted uneasily at the memory of that particular encounter. The flashbacks were pretty vivid, and Draco was sure they were only worse for Raynea. That was something he actually hadn't _meant _to do. In fact, he tried his best to forget that, that ever happened. He wasn't exactly stable at that point in time, but Draco knew that didn't matter to Raynea. She would've forgiven him regardless because she was an idiot—well, that was his opinion on the matter, anyway. He was quite shocked that she had brought it up. Neither one of them had mentioned it since it happened. Draco was curious as to why she would use this against him in this specific argument when she could've used it so many times before.

"No…" Draco said in a hushed voice, "No…that one…no."

Raynea nodded solemnly and blinked, causing a few tears to fall down her face. She instantly covered her eyes with her hand and pitched her head slightly downward.

"Just forget about all this," Draco ordered roughly, "I think it would be best if you just got out of here. I want to be alone."

Her head snapped up and she offered him a confused look before taking a sharp breath inwards. After giving him a nod, Raynea treaded towards the door, though she didn't leave without putting a few final words in.

"Fine."

"Fine," Draco shot back, unable to resist the temptation.

"Fine," Raynea shouted with more force.

"Fine."

After that, she slammed the door shut and Draco smiled in satisfaction. He had won that one. Then, an overwhelming sense of depression came over him as he collapsed onto his bed. Why did they always fight?

***

A number of hours had passed, and it was nearly midnight. Raynea spent most of her evening cleaning up the kitchen. Luke would we be back the next day, so she wanted him to come home to a nice, tidy apartment. It was also a good distraction for her. She didn't want to think about Draco or all the horrible things he had said to her. He had made a few good points, but overall, Raynea was livid with him. Luckily, he spent his entire night cooped up in his room. She was relieved that she didn't have to deal with his crap for a few hours.

In spite of all her anger, Raynea couldn't deny the hole she felt in her stomach. She was used to their fights, but this one was different. A lot of emotional baggage came out in this particular feud, and that was something she was desperate to avoid. However, she also couldn't deny what she felt for Draco. She hated that she cared about him so much. He made it so easy for her to hate him, and yet she couldn't. Raynea liked having him around, even though she could hardly stand to admit it to herself. Actually, she loved having him around. She loved when they would have light bickering matches. She loved just being in his presence. He made things easier—and harder. It was weird, but she had grown to love it.

Raynea forced herself to push these thoughts out of her mind as she turned the light off in the kitchen. She was exhausted and ready to get some sleep. Though, part of her really didn't want to leave things the way they were with Draco. She felt tense and guilty and a whole bunch of other emotions. It was difficult. As she passed by his door, Raynea suddenly halted and sighed deeply. After another second, she spun around and dragged herself towards his doorway. Raynea knocked on the door softly before letting herself in, not even giving Draco a chance to offer her a formal invite.

When she entered the room, she saw that he was sitting up on his bed with his back against the wall that it was pushed up against. She also noticed that he was shirtless—again. Raynea subtly rolled her eyes at this, mostly because it annoyed her that he was so attractive. She gulped and fixed her eyes upon his face. Draco gazed up at her with a somewhat softened expression and got to his feet.

"You off to bed, then?" he inquired expectantly.

Raynea folded her lips and nodded. He continued to just stand there and stare as she slowly took a step back. There was a brief silence where the two merely looked at one another, however, Raynea eventually decided to speak.

"So…have a good night."

"Back at you," Draco replied, tilting his head slightly. Raynea took a short breath in before turning her back on him. She was part way to the door when she stopped abruptly. There was more silence as a pained expression covered her face. She remained in the position facing the door, rather than him.

"I don't wanna go sleep in Luke's room all by myself," Raynea stated in a strained voice. There was only a second of quietness before Draco added onto her last comment.

"I don't want you to go sleep in Luke's room all by yourself."

Strangely enough, his tone wasn't arrogant or suggestive. It was genuine. Raynea sluggishly turned around to face him, and he offered her an intense look. There was a silent understanding between them, and once that was established, Draco eased towards his bed before lying down on it and creating space beside him. Raynea instantly walked up and slid onto the bed next to him. Draco pulled the covers over them and turned onto his side so that his front was still facing her. Raynea twisted so that her back was to him, and brought herself closer to him. She moved so that her back was against his chest and stomach, and her head was resting right beneath his chin, and onto his shoulder. After a few moments, Draco wrapped his arm around her stomach and pulled her tightly against him.

Raynea's eyes closed in both contentment and exhaustion as she felt herself drifting into sleep. She was relaxed—more so than she had been in weeks. It was nice to be in Draco's embrace and to be able to sleep beside him. Surprisingly, she wasn't worried. He wouldn't try anything, for it seemed that this was all that he wanted at the moment. They just wanted each other's company. Raynea smiled softly as she felt him breathe out onto the back of her head. By the slowness of his breathing, she was certain that he was already asleep. She grabbed the arm that was wrapped around her stomach and patted it affectionately. This was probably the exact definition of a perfect moment. Raynea grinned one final time before she finally fell into a dreamland.

* **

Raynea's eyes felt heavy as they slowly eased open. She blinked rapidly before gazing around the room. It was definitely the middle of the night, for the space surrounding her was pitch black. She winced from tiredness, though she found that she was completely comfortable. Raynea turned her head slightly over he shoulder and could just barely make out Draco's sleeping figure beside her. She smiled softly and rested her arm on top of the one he had wrapped around her and closed her eyes in an attempt to get back to sleep.

After a few seconds, there was a faint noise coming from outside of the room, which prompted Raynea's eyes to shoot open. She furrowed her brow, but chose to ignore it for the time being. Then, she heard another sound, but it was louder this time. Raynea shivered as a sense of fear came over her. She was almost positive that everything was fine, but part of her was still a bit concerned. Though it took a lot of effort, Raynea reluctantly moved out of Draco's hold and dragged herself to her feet. She jumped as she felt something brush against her arm. She whipped around to see that Draco's fingers were trailing against it. He was still asleep, but her absence seemed to have caused him to instinctively reach out to find her again. Raynea beamed, then was suddenly reminded of why she had gotten up in the first place. Another sound was audible, and once again, it was louder than the last.

Raynea felt her stomach jolt as she crossed the room and cautiously headed out into the hallway. She continued forward towards the kitchen, feeling more and more fear consume her. After finally reaching the kitchen, Raynea flipped on the lights and nearly had a heart attack at the sight of nothing. She supposed her imagination was getting to her. However, Raynea did notice that Luke's suitcase was resting on the counter. She was puzzled by this. Why would he choose to apparate to the flat in the middle of the night? It definitely seemed odd. Raynea decided to solve the mystery at that exact moment. She traveled to Luke's bedroom, feeling a little relieved that he was the one who had made all the noise, and not some random lunatic. Though, she was still slightly tense.

She twisted the doorknob and made her way into Luke's room. It was completely dark, as expected, and Raynea instantly turned on the lights so that she could walk forward without running into something. She saw Luke stretched out across the bed, but he was still completely clothed, shoes and all, and he didn't even have any blankets to cover him. Raynea guessed he could've been too exhausted to prepare for bed, but she thought he would at least take his shoes off. She treaded across the room and knelt down beside his bed before shaking him gently.

"Luke…"

He didn't move a muscle, nor give any indication that he had heard her. Raynea laughed quietly and shook him with more force.

"Luke…you need to take off your shoes and get into bed."

Once again, Luke gave no sign of movement. At this, Raynea felt her stomach tighten. She used both hands to shake him this time, and still he didn't move.

"Luke….Luke…"

Raynea gripped his shoulders and shook him violently as panic came over her. Her breathing was erratic and tears threatened to fall down her face.

"Luke…Luke…Luke….LUKE!"

Still, the man didn't move nor speak. Raynea was hyperventilating at this point as she continued to make efforts to awaken him. This wasn't right. He was just really tired or something. He couldn't be…

"LUKE!"

Raynea grabbed the front of his shirt and shook him again and again. Still, no response.

"No…no…LUKE!"

"He can't hear you," stated a cold, callous voice from behind her. Raynea froze as her heart beat so rapidly that it threatened to burst in her chest. She swallowed a lump in her throat and just sat there for a moment. She knew what was going on, and she knew exactly who was standing in the doorway behind her. Tears burned her eyes, but she wouldn't allow them to fall.

"He can't hear you," repeated Bellatrix Lestrange, "He can't hear you because he's dead, dead, dead."

Raynea gritted her teeth as she refrained from crying. She couldn't get emotional; she had to act. She had a sudden realization, and decided to act on her gut instinct. Raynea ripped the wand out of Luke's pocket, got to her feet and whipped around to face Bellatrix before aiming a spell at her. Bellatrix instantly deflected the spell as a sadistic smile covered her face. Suddenly, Raynea was reminded of something else. Draco was just in the other room, sound asleep, and she was certain that Bellatrix had back-up. There's no way she would show up alone. Raynea ignored her emotions as she shot another spell at Bellatrix. Of course, she dodged it by apparating. Raynea's anxiety went into overdrive as she sprinted towards the door so that she could save Draco.

Before she could even make it into the hallway, Bellatrix apparated in front of her, but this time, she had another, unfamiliar, male wizard at her side. Raynea held up her wand, but the male wizard grabbed her arm before she had a chance to do any damage. He came up behind her and put one arm around her, and poked his wand into her throat, causing her to hold her head back in order to avoid any sort of attack.

"One down," Bellatrix said zanily, "Just one more to go. Better let me take care of this one, love. It's a family matter."

Raynea squirmed around as the wizard gripped her more firmly. She couldn't let them get Draco. They could do whatever they wanted with her, but they couldn't have Draco. Raynea started screaming loudly, hoping this would somehow alert him before the Death Eaters could get to him.

"DRACO! DRACO! GET OUT OF HERE! RUN!"

Raynea kicked around in order to break free from the Death Eater, but he was too strong.

"Let go!...DRACO! RUN FOR IT!"

Bellatrix offered Raynea a wicked grin before flicking her wand at her. Raynea tried to scream, but found that she couldn't.

"_Silencing Charm. Dammit!_"

Her eyes widened in fear as Bellatrix apparated from her spot in the hallway. Raynea became more desperate in her attempts to escape, but she just couldn't. The Death Eater started dragging her towards the hallway, and into the living room. Suddenly, there was a puff of black smoke, and Bellatrix and Tristan appeared in the kitchen. Raynea felt her heart break as she saw that they each were holding onto one of Draco's arms. He didn't speak, and it seemed as though he was under the influence of a spell also. Both he and Raynea were flailing around in order to free themselves from the hold of the Death Eaters, but to no avail. Draco looked utterly terrified. In fact, Raynea had never seen him so scared. She was pretty horrified, herself. However, this only amused the Death Eaters surrounding them. Bellatrix laughed darkly before turning to her nephew.

"Don't be afraid, Draco," she said mockingly as she stroked his hair, "There's no need to be afraid. You're going home."


	16. Chapter 16

**Author's Note: Thank you so, so much for reviewing! It's so amazing and I am so grateful. I'm so sorry that its been taking me forever to get chapters out. I know I left the story on quite a cliffhanger last update, so hopefully this will put your minds at ease (sort of). I apologize for the shortness of this chapter, but I figure a short update is better than no update at all. Really, I do hope you enjoy this. Its a bit sad, but hopefully in a good way...if that's even possible. Also, just a warning that the story is probably ending soon ish. I'm thinking in another 5-7 chapters it will be finished. Just a heads up. :) ****Anyway, again, I hope you enjoy! Please, please leave a review! They seriously keep me going. Thanks a million ! :) **

Raynea felt an intense, scratching pain shoot through her wrists as she sluggishly forced her head upwards. Her eyes fluttered open and everything around her was cloaked in darkness. Panic overcame her as she realized that she was not able to place her feet on the ground. Raynea was beginning to put the pieces together as her eyes adjusted to the dark. She discovered that she was bound at the wrists with her arms pulled up over her head and tethered to the ceiling by a long sliver of rope. That would've explained the gnawing feeling in her wrists, as well as the dull ache she felt in her shoulders. Her feet were dangling a good two feet above the floor and judging by the tightness of her restraints, there was no way of escaping. As she slowly began to realize what state she was in, Raynea recalled everything that had happened that brought her to this moment.

She twisted her head to the side and felt her breath catch in her chest as she saw that Draco was tied up next to her. He appeared to be unconscious, so she didn't even bother saying anything. Besides, she wasn't even sure if she _could_. She had no idea who was around her, or if they were listening.

Raynea couldn't even begin to guess where they were. Though, she was sure of one thing: they had gotten themselves into some deep crap this time.

She felt tears burn her eyes as she started to hyperventilate. How had they gotten themselves into this mess? How were the Death Eaters able to find them? Why didn't she insist on leaving Luke's earlier? Then, the memory of Luke's death flooded her mind. There was too much fear and pain to feel that Raynea could hardly function. It also didn't help that she was tied up, had no wand and no clue where she was.

She was in a blind panic for a few minutes before the sound of movement beside her ripped her away from her thoughts. Raynea heard Draco grunt as his head snapped up. It seemed to take him a second to remember everything before he started to pull against his restraints frantically. Raynea swallowed a lump in her throat as she suppressed a sob.

"Draco…" she trailed off in a weak voice. All she heard for a moment was his heavy breathing, "Draco…"

Still, he said nothing. Raynea tried to hold herself together, though it proved to be difficult.

"Do you have any idea where we are?"

He remained quiet and she assumed that he took this time to observe their surroundings. Raynea was desperate to hear his voice. She just needed to know that he was okay.

"My house."

She shut her eyes painfully and gulped. They were screwed, it was simple as that.

"Are you sure?"

"Yeah, I'd know this ruddy cellar anywhere," Draco verified.

Raynea nodded as she forced her eyes open. Now that they had figured out their location, she just wanted to hear Draco say that he was all right. She just needed to know that he was all right…

"Are you hurt?" Raynea asked, "Are you okay?"

"I'm not hurt," Draco told her. He hadn't answered her second question for an obvious reason. He wasn't okay and neither was she. How could they be?

"Good." That was all Raynea could utter. She had never been so stressed and terrified in her entire life. She had no idea what was going to happen to them, nor did she know when it would happen. The uncertainty was the most frightening thing of all.

Both she and Draco stayed quiet for what felt like hours. There wasn't much they could say. Raynea's body was extraordinarily tense as her mind raced. All she could do was think. She supposed Draco was in the same situation, for the silence among them continued. However, she was shocked to hear a sob escape from him after a few minutes had passed. It was almost like a chain reaction. Raynea began to cry instantly at the sight of his tears. She was consumed by strong emotions as it was, but seeing Draco in pain topped them all.

"I'm so sorry I got you into this, Raynea." he said through sobs, "I'm so sorry…" She only cried harder at this.

"Don't you dare apologize to me," Raynea told him, "Don't…because if I had to do this all over again…I would make the same choices."

"This is my fault," Draco said, his tone growing edgier as he continued on, "You're gonna die because of me, do you understand that?"

"Yes," Raynea replied plainly. He was right. There was no way of getting out of this one and Raynea was quite aware of that fact. However, she had accepted it. Something inside her told her that she had made the right decisions over the past few months and she had no regrets about making them.

"How can you act so casual about this?" Draco demanded, "_You're going to die._"

"I know," Raynea said. She squeezed her eyes shut, which prompted more tears to fall down her face, "It's okay."

"Okay?" Draco repeated in disgust, "There's nothing okay about this. You're supposed to live, Raynea. Your life is worth something. You shouldn't have to die over this..."

Draco trailed off for a moment, but Raynea didn't speak. She could tell that he had more to say and she wanted to hear him say it. His voice was the only thing keeping her from completely shutting down.

"…There are a lot of things I want from you, Raynea…but I never wanted to take your life. You shouldn't have to die because of me."

Raynea gulped and reopened her eyes before allowing them to trail over to Draco. She saw that his gaze was fixed upon her as well, and tears were streaming down his face. She hated that he felt so much remorse about involving her in this. She didn't care that he had. In fact, she was glad for it. She wouldn't have it any other way.

"I'm okay with this, Draco," she said quietly.

"No…" he cried as he shook his head fiercely.

"It's _okay_." Raynea insisted, "I…I don't mind dying for you. It's easier to deal with…when it's someone you love."

She could see that Draco's eyes had widened and his face had gone white. She couldn't blame him for being surprised. She was a bit surprised herself. It was definitely not her intention to say that; it just slipped out like it was natural.

"I guess you were right," Raynea said solemnly, casting her eyes downwards, "I do love you, Draco."

There was a bit of silence after that, which wasn't surprising. Raynea supposed that he was still quite stunned. Honestly, she still was too. She waited for him to say something. She just wanted him to say something.

"You dense, stubborn bitch," Draco snapped.

That was definitely not the response she was expecting. Raynea was angered by his choice to insult her, but she didn't allow her emotions to pour into her actions. One of them had to stay calm.

"You're telling me this now? Great bloody timing." he continued severely, "Good thing we're both about to be killed."

"I'm sorry. I really am." Raynea paused for a minute, allowing herself some time to pull herself together. She couldn't lose it again. She had to hold back her tears, "My only regret in all of this…is never being with you."

Another silence came over them and Raynea could feel the pain radiating off Draco. They were both hurting. Why did it seem like love and death were always connected? Raynea hated herself for not knowing how she felt sooner.

"Oh yeah…me too," Draco agreed bitterly. His tears had ceased, but his voice was still rather shaky. They had both stopped crying. This was a time for tears, but they couldn't afford to shed them. Raynea was resolute to deal with this. She wanted to be strong for both herself and for Draco.

Neither of them spoke for the longest time. There was nothing more to say. Everything had been laid out on the table. They were trapped. They were in love with each other, and they were going to die. That's all there was to it.

About a half an hour went by and the room was still cloaked in silence. Raynea just stared ahead as her body screamed out in agony. The tightness of her restraints was really getting to her, as was the aching in her shoulders. She supposed it didn't matter, though. It would all be over soon.

Suddenly, they could hear the sound of a door opening from above them. The time had come sooner than expected. Raynea snapped her eyes shut and exhaled sharply. She could hear loud footsteps clunking down a flight of stairs. The sound grew louder and louder as the person descending the steps came closer. Raynea inhaled.

"I love you," she said in a whisper.

"I love you, too."

She had Draco's voice in her head and that was enough to keep her calm for the moment. Raynea's eyes reopened and she was greeted by a bright light coming from the corner of the cellar. It was dim, but it provided enough light for her to see what was around her. The sight wasn't exactly relaxing. The first thing Raynea saw was her brother trailing towards them with his wand drawn and a wicked smile covering his face. Bellatrix Lestrange was following behind him, Peter Pettigrew right on her tail. Raynea couldn't even bear to look at Draco. She wouldn't be able to stand seeing the terror in his eyes.

"Well, well, well, look what we have here," Tristan began smoothly, "The traitor…and his whore."

Bellatrix and Peter snickered in the background as Tristan traveled forward so that he was only inches away from Raynea's face. His smirk grew as he got closer.

"Sis, I've gotta say I'm surprised." he said, "I never thought I'd see the day you'd run around with a Death Eater. What would your buddy Potter say if he could see you now?"

"Shut up," Raynea threatened.

"Watch your tongue, bitch." Tristan warned, pushing his wand into the flesh of her throat, "This isn't school. You don't just get detention when you mouth off here."

"Well, then what do you get, Tristan?" she asked mockingly. He inhaled in satisfaction and took another step forward. Suddenly, Tristan removed his wand from her throat and aimed it at Draco. Raynea felt her entire body seize up and tears burned her eyes.

"Crucio."

Draco screamed as his body writhed in pain. Raynea fought against the ropes that bound her, hoping she could somehow break free.

"Stop it!" she shouted, barely audible over Draco's shrieks of agony, "Stop it!"

Abruptly, Tristan lowered his wand and smiled devilishly. Draco stopped screaming, but was panting instead. A look of discomfort still covered his face as his eyes trailed over to Raynea. She tried her best to hold back tears as she kept her gaze fixed upon Tristan.

"Calm down, Raynea," he said tauntingly, "You're acting like you're the one being cursed. Speaking of which…"

Tristan pointed his wand towards her before uttering the spell once again. Raynea felt an intense, white hot pain channel through her body as she cried out in anguish. She was screaming so loud, she could hardly tell that it was coming from her. The pain was so intense; it made everything else sound distant. She could barely hear the sound of Draco yelling over her.

"Stop! She has nothing to do with this!"

Raynea felt herself growing light headed as the pain continued to consume her body. She could still hardly make out Draco's pleas of mercy.

"Stop it, you bastard!"

Suddenly, the pain completely disappeared and Raynea breathed heavily as she recovered. Tristan took a few steps back and exchanged a look with Bellatrix. She walked forward, passing by him so that she was now in front. She immediately treaded towards Draco, a zany grin spreading across her face.

"You've become quite a bother, Draco," Bellatrix said, "We looked everywhere for you…all we wanted was for you to come home."

Draco said nothing in response, but merely stared upon his aunt with a look of horror in his eyes.

"…and now you're back," she continued on, "All we have to decide is what to do with you."

"No," Raynea whispered as tears flooded her eyes, "Don't you touch him."

Bellatrix stopped unexpectedly and turned towards Raynea. A vicious expression appeared on her face as she paced closer to the hanging girl.

"You know, I'm really starting to get sick of the sound of your voice," she told Raynea coldly, "How about we shut you up?" Bellatrix held up her wand and smiled darkly, "Crucio."

Again, the searing pain overcame Raynea's body. She couldn't even tell if she was screaming. She couldn't hear or see anything. All she could do was feel the agony that coursed through her entire skeleton. After what felt like an eternity, the pain stopped. Raynea's vision slowly returned as she panted. It was not quite as easy to recover from the spell this time.

"Easy now, Bella," Tristan said, "The night's young…there'll be plenty of time for that later."

Bellatrix pouted briefly before offering Raynea a cruel smile and skipping off to rejoin Tristan and Peter in the middle of the room.

"Now," Tristan began as he walked forward, "It's time we deal with you, wouldn't you say Draco? Let's end the suspense."

"No!" Raynea shouted, "Stay away from him...you can't kill him!"

"Kill him?" Tristan repeated with a furrowed brow, "Oh, no, no, no. We're not going to kill him…yet. There's always room for a little negotiation."

"Negotiation? What the bleeding hell are you talking about?" Draco demanded.

"Relax, Malfoy," Tristan said, "You'll find out soon enough." He turned to face Bellatrix and Peter, "Bella, you stay here…take good care of my baby sister while I'm away. Pettigrew, get Malfoy into the next room. We're gonna have a little chat…alone."


	17. Chapter 17

**Author's Note: Thank you for reviews! No chance to edit this for grammatical errors. I will give further explanation of this when I have no time pressure. Hope ya like it. Please review. Thanks!!! :) **

Pettigrew shoved Draco into the cramped, cupboard-sized room that came right off of the cellar, Tristan trailing just behind them. Once they were all in the space and the door was shut, Pettigrew grinned deviously and thrust his foot into Draco's stomach, causing the boy to topple to the ground. He grimaced in pain as he lay flat on his back, paralyzed by pain and fear. There was nothing he could do to fight against them; his hands were bound and he was lacking a wand, which meant that even an attempt to escape would be fruitless. Draco could hear the soft tap of Tristan's shoes as he approached him, his heartbeat quickening as every step echoed in his ears.

Suddenly, Tristan was knelt just beside him. Draco tried to steady his breathing, but it proved to be difficult. He had no idea what kind of torture Tristan was going to inflict upon him, nor could he guess what it was that they had to negotiate.

"Get out, Pettigrew." Tristan said, "I told you, I want to talk to Malfoy _alone_."

Draco heard the faint sound of Pettigrew's retreating footsteps before the door slammed shut. There was a moment of stillness, then, all of a sudden, Tristan offered him a twisted smile as he grabbed Draco by the collar with one hand, and shoved his wand into his chest with the other.

"Good to see you, Draco. You look well…now let's skip the pleasantries, shall we?" Tristan shot off, pushing Draco upright against the wall and releasing his collar. Draco just glared as Tristan returned to his feet.

"I have to say, it's been a real pain in the arse trying to find you." he continued, "We were really starting to lose hope, especially your dear, old mum."

"Don't talk about my mother, McCoy," Draco snapped.

"And of course, there's also daddy to think about," Tristan said mockingly, ignoring Draco's interjection.

"My father's in prison, you ponce," Draco spat.

"Your father _was _in prison. We got him out, no thanks to you. Imagine his disappointment when he found out that his only son was a disloyal, pathetic deserter."

"Shut up! You don't know anything about my father."

"Please, I'm more of a son to him these days than you are."

"Shut up!" Draco lunged forward, but Tristan cast a spell at him that kept him pushed up against the wall.

"You really are a sad excuse for a wizard, Malfoy. You never should've been a Death Eater in the first place. You're not one of us and you've known that all along. You're just a scared son of a bitch. You couldn't kill Dumbledore, so daddy's little _girl_ decided to run away."

"You have no idea what you're talking about," Draco said through gritted teeth.

"Wait, but it was more than that, wasn't it? Let's not forget Raynea's part in all of this."  
Draco narrowed his eyes as raged channeled through him. If Tristan wanted to negotiate, he should just get to it. Messing with his head was just a waste of time, though it was effective.

"I don't know what you're talking about," he said.

"Oh, I think you do." Tristan responded as a smirk appeared on his face, "You sad, _lovesick_ bastard. You're a disgrace—falling for that half-blooded whore. What would your father say?"

Draco grinded his teeth as he tried to pull against his restraints. Bringing up Raynea was bad enough, but dragging his father back into it was crossing the line.

"Have nothing to say? Funny…you always seem to have a comeback for everything. Why so silent?" There was a short pause before Tristan carried on, "Leave it to you to run to my sister—that _bitch_. Did you really think she could save you? I don't know who's more pathetic, you or her."

"She has nothing to do with this." Draco said, "This is between you and me."

"Yeah, you're right." Tristan agreed with a hint of dark humor in his voice, "Sorry, I'm just so looking forward to getting to kill her—or torture her until she goes mad. I haven't decided which I like better yet."

"Don't you dare touch her," Draco shouted.

"No worries, Draco. Your dear Aunt Bella is starting my work for me."

Draco swallowed a lump in his throat as the sound of screaming penetrated the room. His stomach clenched as he pushed harder against the ropes that bound him.

"Good, I was hoping she was a screamer," Tristan stated as he smiled and glanced over his shoulder.

"Leave her alone, or I swear I'll—"

"What? Kill me?" Tristan laughed.

"You said you wanted to negotiate." Draco reminded him, interrupting his bellows of laughter, "Why don't you get to it, then?"

"Relax, I was getting to it. Patience is a virtue."

"What do in the bleeding hell do you want?"

"Well…since you asked…we want you back."

Draco felt as though all the air had been sucked out of his lungs as Tristan's last statement repeated over and over in his head.

"Don't act so surprised. You know that your mum would do anything to have her boy back. Besides, the Dark Lord is willing to give you another chance. You might be weak, but you're still a Malfoy. The name carries some weight."

Draco just stared at the ground as he took in everything Tristan was saying. His mind was going in a million different directions and even trying to form words was impossible.

"So, you can come back as one of us, or you and your little bint can die screaming. It's your choice."

That was something he hadn't considered. Raynea. What was to happen to her in all of this?

"What will you do with her…if I…come back?"

"That's where the negotiation comes in." Tristan said, "You join us again and we won't kill Raynea…just yet. Its close quarters in here, so we could always use someone to torture. You know, for when we get bored."

"You son of a—"

"Hey, I'm a messenger, nothing more. Weigh your options. If you come back, you get to live…your parents will accept you again…you'll be a major player in the war…and you'll add at least a few weeks to Raynea's life…it's a fair deal."

"Why do you even need to keep her here? Just…let her go. She's doesn't have anything to do with this."

"That's where you're wrong." Tristan returned, "She's a friend of Potter's, am I right? So, really, she has _something _to do with this."

"You can torture her for information all you want, but she'll never tell you anything."

"I wouldn't be so sure about that. I can be very persuasive," Tristan told him as he smirked.

Draco returned his eyes to the floor, unable to sort through everything. He had to make up his mind. He only had two choices and he had to choose one. For a moment, his thoughts were ripped away from his predicament as the sound of Raynea's screams filtered through the walls again. Draco squeezed his eyes shut painfully until it subsided. All of a sudden, his mind was made up.

"So, what'll it be, Malfoy?"

There was a long stretch of silence. Draco's eyes stayed fixed downwards for the longest time, a look of pain upon his face. Suddenly, his head snapped up and he raised one eyebrow.

"Once a Death Eater…_always _a Death Eater."

Tristan smiled in satisfaction as he waved his wand, breaking the ropes around Draco's wrists. He slid a wand out of his pocket and held it out to Draco.

"Welcome back."

Draco inhaled sharply before grabbing onto the wand and shaking Tristan's hand.

***

Raynea gasped for air as the heel of Bellatrix's boot collided with her chest. She was sprawled out on the cold ground, the ropes around her wrists digging into her flesh as Bellatrix waved her wand and suspended the girl from the ceiling once again. Raynea groaned in pain as she kicked in mid air. It was a wasted attempt, but she still had some fight left in her, despite the fact that it was hard to breathe, see and think. Blood trailed from the corner of her mouth and the bruise on her forehead throbbed uncomfortably. Bellatrix slowly trailed towards her, grinning viciously as she did.

"You're even more fun to play with than I thought you'd be. I can't wait for your big brother to have a turn."

"Go to hell," Raynea uttered as she choked on spit and blood.

"Oh, not very nice, are we? I'll fix that…_Crucio_."

Raynea screamed so loud that she could hardly comprehend the register of her voice. Her sight left her as the burning pain coursed through her entire being. She couldn't think about anything but what was happening to her. No other thought could even enter her consciousness. Abruptly, the pain stopped and Raynea's vision slowly returned as she struggled to regain her breath.

"That's better," Bellatrix cackled.

Raynea wanted so badly to respond, but she didn't have the strength. The spell took so much out of her.

"How about we go again, and this time, you can scream louder," Bellatrix suggested. She raised her wand, but another voice interrupted her action.

"Easy there, Bella." Tristan said, "Save some for me."

"As you wish," Bellatrix giggled as she shot Raynea a sinful grin.

Tristan walked towards the other side of the room, prompting Bellatrix to follow after him. From what Raynea could tell, the two were discussing something—something important. An even darker smile formed on Bellatrix's face before she skipped to the stairs that led to the first level of the mansion.

"Have fun," she said mockingly as she shot Raynea another look. After that, she was gone, leaving the siblings alone for the first time in a long time.

Tristan smirked as he put his arms behind his back and meandered over to his sister. Raynea glared at him as she continued to breathe heavily.

"I've got to hand it to you; you did a pretty good job of staying hidden. I would've expected less from a half-blood, especially you."

"Well, you shouldn't have underestimated me," Raynea said.

"Don't get too cocky." Tristan laughed, "We found you, didn't we?"

She had no will to respond, so she allowed him to prattle on. At least his need to monologue would buy her some time to recuperate.

"You know, I always knew we would end up here…with you at my mercy."

"You have no mercy," Raynea coughed.

"That's true," Tristan agreed wryly as he flicked his wand at her.

Raynea cried out as the sensation of a whip cut across her cheek. She could feel fresh blood leaking down the side of her face.

"I've been waiting for this opportunity for years." he told her, "I hate you…your sister…and the fact that my father's blood runs through your veins. But what I hate most of all is that filthy mudblood mother of yours. You see, she took my father from me…she made him weak—a traitor to his own people. Kind of like what you do to Malfoy."

He whipped his wand across her body again, this time with the whipping sensation slicing along her torso. Raynea grunted as her head spun from the pain.

"But that's all about to change," he added on a twisted smile graced his face.

"What—what…does….Draco have to do…with…?"

"I wasn't finished, bitch!" Tristan shouted. He made another cut along her thigh with his wand. Raynea gritted her teeth to keep from screaming, "I can't wait to kill you…but I'm gonna do it nice and slow…like I did with Aurora."

Raynea felt even more breathless. So, the reason for her sister's disappearance had finally been revealed. It was Tristan. She should've been more surprised, but there was no way she could be any angrier.

"You…bastard!"

"Sticks and stones…" he said tauntingly.

"Where's…Draco…?" Raynea asked all of a sudden, "I swear…if you…hurt him—"

"You people really need to stop swearing; it doesn't do you any good."

"Where…is…he?" she demanded.

"Well, I was going to let him sit this one out, but you've given me a better idea…"

"What…?"

"Hold that thought," Tristan said, lifting a finger before treading over to the back of the cellar. He disappeared into the room he had taken Draco in earlier. Raynea instantly fought against her restraints in his absence, but it proved to be difficult. Pain consumed her entire body. Every single muscle, bone and appendage was crying out in agony, but she tried to ignore it. Then, unexpectedly, Tristan reentered the space, but he wasn't alone. Draco was following behind him, a distressed look covering his face. Raynea felt some relief as she saw him. He was alive. However, why was he allowed to walk free?

"I realized now why you couldn't kill Dumbledore, Malfoy." Tristan said deviously, "The Dark Lord forgot that you have to crawl before you can walk. You have to know how to torture before you can kill. Lesson number one…"

Tristan aimed his wand at Raynea. She furrowed her brow, wondering why Draco wasn't making any effort to stop him.

"Crucio."

Again, there was the pain. All there was was pain. Then, it stopped. Raynea blinked rapidly to restore her vision as she gasped for breath. When she had finally returned to reality, she let her eyes trail to Draco. He was simply standing there, watching her with a look of pure agony on his face.

"Draco…help me…please…do something…"

"I'm afraid he can't do that, Raynea," Tristan told her amusedly.

"What…what are you…talking about…?"

Then, realization hit her. A cold feeling ran through her stomach as she felt tears coat her eyes. It wasn't true…it couldn't be true…she was just jumping to conclusions…

"Oh, that's right, I forgot to tell you," Tristan began, "Draco's back. Why don't you tell her all about it, Malfoy?"

Raynea felt numb everywhere. Her body…her mind…everything was crumbling around her. She couldn't even cry. Tears remained in her eyes, but they never fell.

"Tell her," Tristan insisted.

There was a silence that felt like an eternity. Draco appeared to be immobile for a second; it was like he wasn't even with them mentally. Finally, a smirk formed on his face and he took a step towards her.

"No…he's lying…" Raynea said breathlessly, "He has to be…"

"Believe me, I wouldn't lie about this," Tristan replied.

"No…" she continued.

"Yes," Draco uttered after a second.

"I thought…I thought…you had changed…"

"I have," Draco said, raising his eyebrows.

Raynea didn't say anything more. She couldn't. She was fading out in every possible way.

"He's finally come to his senses." Tristan added on, "Now, Malfoy, it's time to put your loyalty to the test. The best way to learn is through experience. I believe you're familiar with the Cruciatus curse…are you ready to use it?"

Draco seemed to falter for a moment, but his face was like stone as he pulled his wand out of his pocket.

"More than ready."

Raynea just stared at him; she was fighting to remain conscious. He pointed his wand to her slowly, his hand trembling. Her expression was stoic as he took a step closer.

"I hate you," she said in a quaking voice. The look in his eyes changed and for a second his wand lowered slightly. Then, he tightened his grip on it and returned it to its former position. Tears glazed over his eyes as he took a breath in.

"Do it." Tristan snapped, "Now."

"…Crucio."

The screams echoed off the walls.


	18. Chapter 18

**Author's Note: Hey ! Thanks so much for all the reviews! You all are so amazing! Sorry that its been taking me so long to update lately. Its been crazy busy around here, but I'm hoping to have several chapters out this week (if i can find the time). No promises, but I have my fingers crossed. So, I know the last update was a really intense cliff hanger and I apologize for that. I've been doing a bunch of cliff hangers lately cause I start to run out of time and I don't wanna rush through it and add on a crappy ending. And, once again, this chapter is cliff hanger-ish. Not as bad as the last few, but it kinda leaves you hanging. Just thought I'd offer a warning. Also, my version/interpretation of how things are at Malfoy Manor while all the Death Eaters are there is in this chapter and I kinda change around the timing of things and cut out events and such. I know I warned you of that earlier, but I just wanted to reiterate how non-DH ish this story is. Anyway, I am sincerely sorry for the slowness of my updates and I am so grateful to those who have continued to read and review. Really, you all are great! I hope you enjoy this chapter, even though its short. Anything that's not explained/confusing in this update will be explained in the next chapter, I promise. Okay, I'll stop rambling and let you read. Thanks so much !!! :) **

Raynea grunted as she collided with the ground, the rope that had previously bound her to the ceiling now lying beside her in a heap. Her hands were still tied together, so there was no chance for her to make a run for it. Besides, she was far too weak to even consider making a plan to escape. She coughed on the blood and spit that had clumped together in her throat and gasped for air. Before she had a fair chance to recuperate, Tristan sauntered over to her and gripped her by the throat as he brought her up to her feet. Raynea struggled even more against the pressure of his fingers on her windpipe.

"Take a break, Draco." he called over his shoulder, "I don't want you to have all the fun without me."

Raynea's eyes sluggishly trailed over to the blonde boy standing only a few feet behind Tristan. His wand was now lowered and a grim expression covered his face as he kept his eyes fixed to the floor. The time she took to look at him was short lived, for Tristan tightened his grasp on her throat and grimaced.

"Look at _me_." He ordered, "I want you to see me when I'm hurting you. Otherwise, it's just no fun."

A garbled response came forth from Raynea. It was the first time she had made any effort to say anything in the last few minutes.

"What was that? I couldn't quite hear you." Tristan exerted more force in his hand.

"I said…" Raynea choked, "…hurt me all you want… …you poor, pathetic…prick."

Tristan growled furiously before he tossed her to the ground and shoved his foot against her ribs, the sound of cracking immediately following the action. Raynea cried out in agony. She hated to give Tristan the satisfaction, but she couldn't help it. He aimed his wand at her face and smirked.

"How about I just kill you right now?" he challenged.

"No," Draco exclaimed tensely. Tristan glanced over his shoulder once again, the expression on his face livid.

"Why the objection, Draco?"

It took a Draco a second to formulate a reply. He seemed tense at first, and then all of a sudden, he was surrounded with an air of callousness.

"Because I'm not finished yet." He whipped his wand out of his pocket and took a few steps forward. Tristan's formerly harsh expression became amused as he backed up and allowed Draco to tower above Raynea's battered body. She stared up at Draco with no feeling in her eyes. She wasn't going to show emotion to him. He wasn't going to break her; she was already broken.

Draco pointed his wand at her chest. It shook violently in his hand and for a moment, he hesitated. Raynea's heartbeat quickened as the seconds went by.

"Go ahead, Malfoy. Let's see what you're really made of," Tristan said.

Draco gritted his teeth before swallowing a lump in his throat.

"Crucio."

Screams. All that could be heard was screams. It stopped after a few moments and Draco staggered back a few feet. The faint sound of clapping could be heard from behind him; Tristan was obviously amused. Draco squeezed his eyes shut as his quivering hand struggled to keep a hold of his wand. Abruptly, Raynea's small voice was the only sound in the room. It was hardly audible, but Draco still was able to figure out what she was saying, for she repeated the same statement over and over.

"Kill me…"

Tristan cackled and knelt down beside his sister, trailing his wand along the side of her face mockingly.

"I would love to, but unfortunately, I can't. You see, you still have some relevance here. You know things; you have information. And you're gonna suffer over and over and over again until you tell us what you know. Do you understand?"

"Oh yeah…I understand." Raynea said, "Looks like…I'm gonna be suffering for an eternity… because I'm not telling you jack…"

Tristan offered her a twisted smile before he rose to his feet. He waved his wand, returning Raynea to her hanging position. Another second went by, then he treaded over to her and spoke right in her face.

"Yeah, we'll see. Have a good night, sis. I'll be seeing you."

With that, Tristan strolled over to the staircase and gestured for Draco to follow after him.

***

"Where're my parents?" Draco demanded once he and Tristan had reached the first level of Malfoy Manor.

"Out."

"What the bloody hell are you talking about? You made it sound like they were here," Draco snapped.

"Relax, Malfoy," Tristan said, "They'll be back in a few days."

"Where are they?"

"Out on assignment. Have no fear, you'll have plenty of company while they're away." Tristan smiled deviously.

Draco furrowed his brow as he followed Tristan into the living room. The sight before him came as a bit of a shock. At least twenty Death Eaters were congregated in the expansive room, his Aunt Bellatrix among them. Once her eyes fell upon her nephew, she grinned and skipped over to him. Draco shivered as she placed her hand on his shoulder.

"Your back. I knew you would be," she said.

Tristan clapped him on the back and turned to face all the others in the room.

"Look whose rejoined the cause," Tristan announced. Bellatrix jumped up and down and clapped zanily as the other Death Eaters fixed their eyes upon him in shock.

"I told you that Lucius Malfoy's son wasn't a deserter," shouted a voice from the crowd. Tristan shrugged.

"Believe me, the surprise is a pleasant one." The faint sound of chattering shot throughout the room. Draco just stood there as everyone kept staring at him, his face void of feeling. A cold sensation stabbed through his stomach.

"And, I have more good news." Tristan continued, prompting everyone else in the room to quiet down, "Not only is the hour of our attack upon Hogwarts drawing near, but we have a prisoner in our custody—a close friend of the enemy. We'll have all we need and more to bring an end to the resistance. Soon, Harry Potter will be but a distant memory. Victory is near, my friends...This hour belongs to the Dark Lord!"

All the Death Eaters cheered and Bellatrix latched herself onto Draco's shoulders and bobbed him in excitement. He just kept his eyes straight ahead as the clenching feeling in his torso became more intense. Nothing was right anymore.

***

Raynea grunted as she fought against the ropes that were cutting into her aching wrists. She had been struggling with them on and off for what seemed to be days and she still wasn't any closer to being free. It was useless, anyhow. As if she could evade the Death Eaters. No, there was no point in trying anymore. She was too weak to even think clearly. Her body was broken. Gashes, scratches and bruises were displaced all along her flesh and the damage from the Cruciatus curse was lasting. At that point, Raynea was just fine with where she was.

She wanted to die. In fact, she _longed _for death. Nothing in life had any purpose anymore. She felt as though her will to live had been taken from her. It might've been because of the physical agony she was experiencing, but something inside her told her that it was more than that.

It was her heart. It wasn't breaking; it had been broken the moment Draco had lifted his wand to her.

Raynea shut her eyes painfully, hoping to remove the thoughts from her mind. It was night and the space around her was cloaked in darkness. No one was in the cellar with her; her surroundings were empty. She had no idea how much time had passed since she was taken from Luke's flat, nor did she have any recollection of how long it had been since she last saw Draco. It felt like a long time. Actually, no one had come down to the cellar for awhile. It might have even been days. Raynea supposed that this was part of some sort of strategy. Someone would come down eventually.

She shuddered as the sound of the door creaking open filtered into her ears. She had no idea who it was, or what was going to happen to her. If it was Tristan, she hoped that he had come to kill her. If it was Bellatrix, then she knew that she would be in for a slow, savored torturing. Raynea forced her eyes open and searched for a face in the darkness. However, she saw nothing.

"Who's there? What's going—?"

A cold hand clamped over Raynea's mouth. She instinctively fought against it, thrashing around in her restraints. Suddenly, a small, bright light erupted in the space just in front of her face. Raynea furrowed her brow as she saw Draco's thin figure fluttering only a few inches from hers. She groaned into his hand, trying to find out what exactly he was doing. He offered her a grave stare.

"Shh."

Draco removed his hand from her mouth and waved his wand at the rope that tied her up. It unraveled from around her wrists and hung loosely from the ceiling beam. Raynea let out a soft cry as she toppled to the ground. In the next instant, Draco was helping her to her feet, but as soon as he let go, she collapsed to the floor yet again.

"What're you doing?" she demanded.

Draco leaned down in front of her and put his index finger over his mouth, indicating for her to be quiet. Raynea was too weak to fight with him and there was no way she could stand on her own.

"Why—?"

"Shut the hell up," he whispered harshly.

Only a second passed before all the light in the room went out and Draco scooped her up in his arms, his arms resting beneath her knees and around her torso. Raynea was utterly confused as he carried her further into the darkness. The sound of a door opening came next, followed by a few short steps. Draco placed Raynea onto the ground carefully before turning his back to her.

"Lumos."

Light shot forth from his wand and illuminated the space around them. Raynea didn't recognize where she was; all she knew was that there wasn't much room for them to move. Her eyes fell to Draco, who was busy fumbling with something in the corner of the room.

"What're you—?"

"What part of 'shut the hell up' do you not understand?"

Raynea was silent after that. She was unable to sit upright any longer, so she fell backwards onto the floor. After a few minutes went by, Draco brought her up to her feet and kept her steady with one arm and held his wand in front of them with the other. He led her to the corner of the closet sized room, shining his wand on the area. Raynea looked down in surprise. Just in front of them was a small hatch that led underground. She had no idea what else was down there, but that didn't matter. Something dawned on her. It was an escape.

"Hold on," Draco said. Unexpectedly, he lowered Raynea through the trap door. She yelped as she fell as short distance and landed in a small stream of water. Beneath the water was cement. Pain coursed through her entire body upon her fall. As her limbs writhed in discomfort, Draco tumbled through the hatch, crashing to the ground just as she had. The two were silent for a moment, both lying in the puddle of murky water, trying to regain themselves.

"Would it be terribly inconvenient for you to explain just what the hell you're doing?" Raynea panted after awhile.

"Saving your ass. Now, come on."

Draco brought himself to his feet before hoisting Raynea upright. He leaned her against his shoulder and steadied her by placing his hand around her waist. His other hand kept his lit wand in front of them, lighting the pathway ahead.


	19. Chapter 19

**Author's Note: Thank you so much for all the reviews! They have been very helpful. I've been trying to post more lately and I hope that all of these updates are up to expectation. This chapter is kind of odd. A very strange range of emotions is covered. It goes from being really serious to really fluffy...I hope you're not too thrown off by that, haha. I figured some fluff was necessary considering how intense the last few chapters have been. Also, the set of circumstances in this chapter may not seem plausible to some, but I think it all makes sense and I tried my best to fill any potential plot holes or remove anything that was too inconcievable. Anyway, I'll stop myself before I ramble on any more. I really hope you enjoy this! Please leave a review because they are beloved, haha. Thanks so much!!! :) **

"You still haven't told me what's going on," Raynea said pointedly. Draco sighed in frustration, but kept his eyes fixed on the tunnel ahead of them. She supposed that it wasn't the proper time or place to demand an explanation. After all, they were on the run from Death Eaters in a damp, cold sewer that seemed to have no end in sight. However, she didn't care. She wanted answers.

"You better get to it, Malfoy. I swear I'll…run away…."

"Don't you mean hobble?" Draco replied mockingly, "You can hardly stand, let alone run. Nice try, though."

"Fine, but you have to give me some sort of explanation," Raynea said.

"Can we just get along a little farther? I'm a bit preoccupied, in case you haven't noticed. I have to figure out where in the bleeding hell we are, hold up my wand and keep your lazy arse moving," Draco explained as he rolled his eyes.

"You're right, I'm so sorry that you have to drag me along with you. We all know that I chose to be tortured," Raynea returned sarcastically.

Draco was quiet for a moment, keeping his attention focused on the trail ahead of them. She was surprised that her words had managed to silence him. Raynea decided to stay quiet, as well. She had wasted a lot of strength fighting with him. Honestly, she was still in a very poor condition. Even though Draco was holding her upright, she was still in an excruciating amount of pain.

The two traveled in silence for quite awhile and Raynea grew weaker with every step they took. It was getting to be too much. She didn't want to say anything, for she feared for the response that would come from Draco. He seemed desperate to move along. However, the pain really started to get to her and she alerted him to this after some more time had passed.

"Can we stop…please…?" Raynea trailed off.

Draco grunted in annoyance, but offered her no other reply.

"Draco, I really need to stop. Please…it'll only be for a moment."

He let out a deep sigh before he came to a halt. Draco returned her arm to her side and gently laid her in the driest spot he could find. Raynea panted as she tried to regain her strength. After a second, Draco knelt down in the puddle of water in front of her and studied her face intensely. He reached forward and carefully placed his hand on one of the deep scratches along her cheek. Raynea winced, prompting Draco to pull back his fingers instantly.

"Sorry…it just…it really hurts. _Everything _really hurts," she told him.

"Is there anything I can do?" Draco inquired.

"No…just give me a minute. I just need to…rest…"

Draco nodded in agreement and remained knelt in front of her. His eyes trailed all over her body, scanning for more injuries. All of a sudden, his expression grew harsh. He roughly grabbed her arm and brought it forward so he could inspect it more closely. Raynea gasped in pain as he tightened his grip on her.

"Did I do this?" he asked in a hard voice. His index finger trailed against a cavernous gash that stretched along her forearm. Raynea closed her eyes and reopened them after a second. She knew the answer to his question immediately. Yes.

"I…uh…I don't remember," she said.

Draco offered her a brief nod as he grasped her forearms in his hands and allowed them to move down so he was now holding both her wrists. Each one of them was covered in dried blood and a serious case of rope burn. Raynea ripped her arms away from him as his fingers grazed the burns. She didn't mean to pull back, but it was just base instinct to recoil from pain. Draco inhaled sharply and changed positions so that he was now leaning against the wall opposite her, his knees bent with his elbows resting on them. They were both silent for a long time. Raynea kept her eyes fixed upon him for awhile, but he didn't meet her gaze once. Soon, she grew more fatigued and decided to shut her eyes.

"I never really joined them again."

Raynea's eyes fluttered open and immediately fell upon Draco. He was staring down at the ground with a sullen look on his face. She wanted to get closer to him, but didn't have the energy to do so. Instead, she waited for him to go on.

"I almost did." he told her, "For a moment…"

There was a long pause. Draco ran a hand over his face and gulped.

"It's been hard…I've turned my back on everything I was told to believe in. When they gave me the chance to come back…I thought about my parents…just the idea of seeing them again…of having them love me again…It just sounded…right. And then I realized, it's not who I am. I'm not a Death Eater."

Raynea gazed at him with a pained look in her eyes. She wanted nothing more than to slide over there and comfort him, but she couldn't. He kept speaking.

"I almost caved, but then I saw the trap door. I remembered it from when I was a kid. I dunno, it was almost like that was the sign…that's what told me what I had to do. Everything I said…everything I did to you...all of it was lies. I had to have them believe that I'd come back so we could escape. So, you wanted to know what happened…and there you bloody have it."

Raynea's face softened even more and finally, she found the strength in herself to move. She scooted forward across the stream of sewer water, grunting in pain with every movement. When she came up beside him, Raynea looked into his eyes.

"Draco…"

He stared over at her expectantly and moved closer. All of a sudden, Raynea struck him hard on the shoulder, her expression becoming enraged as she did so. She delivered another blow against him, this time, on his chest.

"…if you ever do that to me again, I swear I'll kick your ass! How could you lie to me like that, you bloody ponce!"

Raynea continued to hit him, but Draco put a stop to it rather quickly. He grabbed both her wrists roughly and shot her a glare. She cried out in agony and leaned her back against the wall. Once he knew he had caused her pain, Draco released her wrists and rested himself onto the cold, stone walls of the sewer, as well. There was more silence.

"I'm sorry that I hurt you," he said after awhile.

"Forget it, my arms were messed up anyway—"

"That's not what I meant."

Raynea's lips parted in understanding before she folded them resignedly. It felt like an eternity had gone by and still, neither of them spoke. They were in a tough place. Their relationship had an enormous strain on it—now, more than ever. Raynea questioned whether they could come back from it.

"So…I suppose you're going to take it back," Draco said abruptly, his face like stone.

"What're you talking about?"

"What you said to me…before…" he paused for a moment, then smirked to keep from screaming, "Never mind. It doesn't matter."

She knew what he meant now and that's when she realized that they could come back from it. She understood everything with perfect clarity.

"I meant every word," Raynea said quietly.

A look of bewilderment covered Draco's face as his eyes fell upon her. Again, there was a stretch of silence.

"So did I," he told her.

"So…what now?"

Suddenly, Draco got to his feet and pulled Raynea upwards by the hands. He hoisted her into his arms so that one rested beneath her knees, and the other wrapped around her back and torso.

"Now, we get the hell out of this sewer and survive this bloody war," he said firmly.

***

Draco gasped as he pushed the upper half of his body through the grate of the sewer and tossed the covering to it aside. It was the first breath of fresh air he had had in quite awhile and it was glorious. He looked around for a moment, finding that he had popped up right in the middle of the street. It was the middle of the night and there was absolutely no one around. All the shops on the street were closed and the only source of light came from one lamp post that was placed a ways down the road. Snow was covering almost everything, causing the air around him to be unbearably cold.

Draco hoisted himself into the open space before bending into the opening that led to the sewer and offering both his hands to Raynea. She was strong enough to hang onto him as he pulled her out onto the street. He let go of her for only a second and she instantly fell backward onto the thick layer of snow that blanketed the road. Her eyes closed and she shivered as the icy snow touched her bare arms. Draco reached for her hand, but she didn't offer it to him. He panicked for a moment, then her eyes slowly opened and he felt some relief. Once again, he offered his arm and she denied it.

"This really isn't the time to act like a bleeding moron." Draco said impatiently, "We have to keep moving."

"Just lemme rest…for a minute…"

He sighed before carefully taking a seat beside her on the snowy street. Raynea remained on her back, the ice around her starting to form red marks on her skin. Draco instantly pulled her upright with a livid look on his face.

"Are you insane?" he demanded, "Do you want to bloody freeze to death?"

She smiled softly and fell forward onto his shoulder, her limbs slackening as she did so. Draco gripped either one of her arms to hold her up again. Her skin was freezing cold, which wasn't a surprise since her shirt had short sleeves. Her neck was cold, too.

"Would it kill you to have worn a jacket?" he snapped, releasing her for a second. Raynea fell onto her back yet again as Draco removed his suit jacket from his body and brought her upwards. He pulled her arms through it and buttoned it so that he knew it was securely around her. She stared at him with no expression on her face and blinked sluggishly. Draco felt himself starting to panic again. Raynea looked weak…and pale…and cold. Her wounds were exposed to the freezing air, which probably wasn't a good thing.

"Come on. We have to get going," Draco said. He prepared to bring her to her feet, but she groaned in protest, "This is no time for you to act stubborn, you hear me?"

Draco was up to full height again, Raynea along with him. He started dragging her down the street with great effort. He was extraordinarily tired for one thing, not to mention the intensity of the weather. Every gust of wind chilled him to the bone and he wasn't sure how much longer he could take it. It must've been worse for Raynea. She was hurt, after all.

"I have to…stop…please…"

"No, we have to keep moving. I have to figure out where in the bleeding hell we are."

"No…please…"

Raynea completely gave out and slipped through his arms, crashing into the snow.

The flakes surrounded her body and the wind chill stung against both of them. Draco knelt down beside her and pulled her into a tight embrace, partly in an effort to warm her up, but also because he was afraid to lose her.

"Don't give out on me now, Raynea. We're so close."

"To what?"

"To the end. This damn war is going to end and you and I will…"

He stopped. He didn't wish to continue his thought. He was in a mad panic and he was afraid and had no clue of how he could fix things. Suddenly, Draco brought both of them upright again. This time, he was resolute to get them to some sort of shelter. There was an alley nearby and he decided that that would do for now. Draco dragged both of their bodies into the alley way and took a seat beside a dumpster and some other discarded pieces of trash. He took a seat right beside the dumpster and pulled Raynea down so she was sitting in between his legs. After that, Draco wrapped his arms around her so that she would be protected. He realized that this plan was practically suicidal, but he couldn't think of anything else to do.

Draco felt more terror shoot through him as Raynea's head fell backwards onto his shoulder. Her face was aimed up at the sky and flakes of snow landed onto her cheeks and hair. Draco shook her roughly to make sure that she was still conscious.

"Raynea…Raynea! You better not give up on me now, you stupid bint."

"I'm not," she replied quietly.

He sighed in relief. At least she still could talk.

"Good."

"What're…we…going to…do?" she asked after a short span of silence, "We can't…stay…here…forever."

"Don't you worry about that now." Draco snapped, "You're just going to focus on getting well, do you understand?"

She nodded sluggishly before her head slackened against his shoulder once again. Draco inhaled and licked his lips anxiously. He had to think of a plan. Raynea was right. They couldn't stay there forever. Then, all of a sudden, something occurred to him.

"Draco…"

"What?" he demanded.

"Are you gonna be okay?"

"Shut up," Draco said, "I told you to stop worrying about everything else. Just leave it to me. You trust me, don't you?"

Raynea was quiet after that. Well, that answered that question. Draco rolled his eyes and pulled her closer to him. If he didn't love her so much, he'd probably punch her lights out. That didn't matter now, anyway.

He had a plan. They were both going to be all right. They just had to last the night.

***

Raynea swallowed a bad taste in her mouth and blinked rapidly as the light of day graced her eyes. Her body was still writhing in pain, which was only made worse by the fact that she had no idea where she was. She was freaking out _and_ she was in agony. After a few minutes passed, Raynea forced herself upright. She looked at her surroundings: a dumpster, some spare pieces of trash and brick walls. Raynea was sure she would be more panicked if she wasn't in so much physical pain. Though, she was a bit concerned with Draco's whereabouts. She couldn't think clearly, but she did know that his absence couldn't have been a good thing.

Luckily, he reappeared a few moments later. He had just shoved something into his pants pocket before he knelt down beside Raynea.

"Look who's finally awake," he said.

"Where…are we?"

"It doesn't matter. Come on."

Draco pulled her to her feet and made it so that she was leaned against him for support. He dragged her out of the alley and down the street without speaking a word. Raynea would definitely give him hell for this when she was in a better condition. She was tired of being kept in the dark about their plans. What was happening?

They had traveled down the same street for quite some time. Raynea tried to ignore the strange looks they were getting. Obviously the fact that she was injured was of great alarm to the muggles, but she supposed it didn't matter. No one had said anything to them so far. Finally, they seemed to reach their destination, even though Raynea had no idea where that was. The building they entered was beautiful. The architecture was exquisite and it looked like a place that only exceedingly wealthy people would go. It probably seemed odd that she and Draco were there, especially considering how worn they looked.

When they got inside, Raynea felt even more out of place. Wherever they were, it sure was ritzy. The room was brightly lit and illuminated the walls, which were covered in cream colored wallpaper. The floors were marble and plush, leather couches were set up in the back of the space. People were rushing around everywhere and Raynea wondered why they were all in such a hurry.

"Come on," Draco urged as he pulled her to the right. They approached a dark wooden desk where a nicely dressed man seemed to be waiting for them. He looked snooty, but a smile covered his face, nonetheless.

"Hello, what can I do for you?" the man inquired, folding his hands on top of the desk and staring at Draco expectantly.

"Er…this is an inn, right?"

"Yes, sir, welcome. Are you looking to get a room? "

"Obviously," Draco replied.

"All right," the man said. He began to mess with some sort of contraption for the next few moments before looking back up at them and smiling, "We have a room available on the third floor, will that be sufficient?"

"Uh…yeah…sure…whatever," Draco returned impatiently.

"Okay, then…" the man trailed off and seemed to take notice of Raynea for the first time. He was a bit taken aback by her battered appearance and offered Draco a puzzled look.

"Is she all right?"

"Yeah, she's fine," Draco said, shaking his head in annoyance, "The bint tripped over a few steps on the way here. Can I have my room, now?"

Draco's uncouth behavior appeared to startle the man even more and he shuttered before he began to fool around with the same machine from earlier.

"How long do you want your room for, sir?"

"I dunno," Draco said before pulling a fistful of bills out of his pocket and tossing them onto the desk, "You tell me."

"Sir…" the man began, his eyes widening at the amount of money that had just been placed before him. He didn't seem to look down his nose at them after that, "You could keep a room for two weeks with all this…"

"All right, see to it, then," Draco said haughtily.

"Of course," the man responded. He ran around the desk and escorted them to the other side of the room, "Right this way…"

***

"What did you do?" Raynea demanded, a hint of amusement in her voice. Draco rolled his eyes before exiting the bathroom. He had an arm load of muggle first aid supplies with him that the concierge had pointed out to them when they first got to the room. He seemed to think that Raynea could use some tending to. Draco figured that anything he hadn't already healed with magic might be cured with the help of some of the muggle remedies. However, he had no idea how they worked or what they were for, so the end result was going to be quite interesting.

"Shut up," Draco snapped, "I have to tend to your ruddy wounds, remember? Give me some peace and bloody quiet."

"You have to clue me in, here," Raynea insisted. She had definitely perked up a bit since Draco had started to heal her. He wasn't exactly an expert, but he had managed to help.

"Oy…" Draco trailed off for a moment. He sorted through the contents from the bathroom and stared at them in confusion before he even bothered to address Raynea's concerns, "I asked one of the muggles on the street where to find a place to stay and he told me to come here. It's a right side better than the gutter, don't you think?"

"Well, obviously," Raynea replied, "but how'd you get that…er…money? It's not like you could go to the bank and trade out your galleons for muggle currency."

"Let's just say that a few muggles were too confused to know that their money was gone," he answered with a smirk.

"You used a Confundus charm?" Raynea demanded.

"I did what I had to do," he corrected her.

"It just doesn't seem right. They had no idea that they were being robbed."

"Yeah, well what was I supposed to do? We would've died out there if I hadn't done it. Is that what you wanted?"

Raynea sighed heavily. He had a point. Draco had done a lot to make sure that they were taken care of. Plus, he was trying his best to get her back to perfect health. She owed him some gratitude.

"I guess you're right. Thank you…for everything."

"Whatever," Draco grumbled. He took a handful of cotton balls and clumsily poured a clear solution over them before he brought it towards Raynea's arms. She instantly pulled back.

"What is that?" she questioned.

"Hell if I bloody know." Draco told her with a shrug, "Let's hope it helps."

Raynea tried to make herself relax as he patted the cotton balls against her skin. She winced as a stinging sensation shot through her arm and she instinctively slapped Draco on the chest. He glared at her and grabbed her wrist roughly.

"What the hell was that for?"

"It stings," Raynea said.

"You were mercilessly tortured for days and you're complaining because 'it stings'?" Draco inquired humorously.

"…Shut up."

Draco chuckled coldly before he began to dab the cotton against her cuts once again. She handled it a lot better the next time. Actually, she found it to be kind of relaxing. She liked having Draco close and he was sort of being tender for once. He finished up after some more time had gone by and decided to return the first aid items to the bathroom. Raynea remained sprawled out across the bed. She was feeling a lot better. She would still need some time to rest of course, but by the next morning, she would be good as new.

Her eyes closed and she allowed her mind to wander. Everything around her was quiet and it was so nice…so peaceful…Then, all of a sudden, she felt the bed collapse under the weight of another. She smiled, but kept her eyes closed. Her arm was lifted upwards and she felt cool lips graze against her wrist. Raynea's eyes fluttered open and met Draco's immediately. He looked pensive and tired, but serene at the same time. After kissing her wrist one more time, he lay down beside her and wrapped his arm around her torso. His lips came up beside her jaw line and he ran them against it before kissing her temple.

"So, did you find out anything about the Death Eaters' plan?"

Draco hung his head in annoyance and sat up, shooting Raynea a glare. She stared up at him expectantly, still wanting an answer to her question. She didn't seem to understand why he was frustrated.

"I'm doing some of my best work here, Raynea…and you wanna talk shop?" he asked, raising his eyebrows.

Her cheeks flushed in embarrassment and she rolled her eyes.

"You never answered my question," she pointed out. Draco grabbed his hair in irritation before exhaling heavily and returning his eyes to her face.

"Yeah, I've heard a few things," he admitted.

"What?"

"I don't know much…but I have heard a lot of talk about Hogwarts."

"What about it?"

"They're planning an attack. I dunno what for, but that's where they're going."

Raynea bit her lip, deep in thought for a moment.

"Do you know anything else?"

"Not really," Draco shrugged, "They were being a bit cryptic. I suppose they didn't trust me all the way…"

"Yeah…" she agreed distractedly.

"…kinda like you."

Raynea gazed at him with a slight look of exasperation in her eyes. She didn't blame him for bringing that up, but she wasn't ready to deal with it yet. They had both been through a lot and getting into a deep, emotional conversation that would most likely end up in a fight did not seem like the best idea at the time.

"Let's not get into this now, Draco. Please…I don't wanna fight…"

"Fine," he gave in, "as long as we can have a break from talk about the bloody war."

"Deal," Raynea agreed.

Draco nodded and smirked in satisfaction. Abruptly, his eyes softened as his smirk became less severe. Raynea recognized that smirk. He wasn't being cocky…he was at peace. It seemed odd that they were both feeling so calm considering all that had happened, but they were. Raynea supposed it was the company. She smiled in response to Draco's smirk.

"Hi…" she said quietly. It was all she could think to say.

"Hi," he answered. He was lying beside her again, but this time his face hovered above hers. Raynea gulped and looked up at him. He smirked once more before pressing his lips onto hers roughly. She was startled for a moment, then returned the gesture. They stayed in this state for quite awhile and Draco became more vigorous in his movements. He tried to move himself completely on top of her, but Raynea abruptly pulled away from him and turned onto her side.

"I'm still kinda tired. We should rest for awhile."

Draco spun over onto his back and stared up at the ceiling in frustration. Raynea was such a tease and the worst of it was, she had no idea what kind of effect she had on him. He sighed.

"You're killing me here, McCoy."

There was a short silence where Raynea just smiled to herself.

"Take a cold shower."

Draco rolled his eyes, but he couldn't help but smirk.


	20. Chapter 20

**Author's Note: ****So... it's been awhile. I do apologize for not having updated in like 5 months. I'm not going to divugle into any major anecdote, but my own personal life has rivaled the complication of the romance in this story, no joke. That sounds like a line, I know. But believe me when I say, I have literally not had the emotional energy to write this for awhile. Again, I am very sorry for not writing for so long. I hope no one has 100% given up on this story, though I wouldn't blame you if you had. Anyway, I hope a lot of you will still read it and review! I really appreciate and would like to thank everyone who has left reviews for this story or has checked to see if it's updated. It means alot, and I promise I will try to update from now on as often as I can so I at least finish out the story. I really hope you enjoy this chapter as much as the others! Thank you to everyone for everything! Please review, thank you :) **

The next few days were used for recuperation. Both Raynea and Draco were battered and exhausted, and found that they needed some time to rest before they could decide what their next move was. Raynea took the bed and Draco reluctantly agreed to stay on the couch. He argued that the bed could easily hold both of them, but Raynea just laughed in his face. Regardless of sleeping arrangements, the two were feeling refreshed after a few days went by. It was nice to take a break from thinking, planning, running and worrying. For awhile, they could just be.

However, the topic concerning their next plan of action came up eventually. It was sort of an unavoidable conversation. Decisions had to be made.

"You said the Death Eaters were going to Hogwarts…" Raynea said as she paced the room, "…and you're not sure why?"

"They said something about having the last battle there, but that's all I know," Draco told her.

"It's gotta be more than that. They have something planned…"

"Well, obviously." Draco replied impatiently, "Do you really think they'd just show up without a purpose?"

"Good point," she agreed. "We have to warn the Order somehow."

"It's not like you could send a ruddy letter. That's too easily tracked," he pointed out.

"I know," Raynea sighed as she bit her lip, "and I haven't heard any word from Harry." All of a sudden, something occurred to her. She widened her eyes and slowly sat down on the couch beside Draco.

"What is it?"

"Harry…" she said, "Do you think Harry's at Hogwarts? Could that be a reason why they'd go there?"

"Maybe," Draco shrugged, "They did make it sound like he'd be dead after this battle. But I thought Potter was searching for those bloody horcruxes; why would he go back to Hogwarts?"

"He would if one of the horcruxes was there."

Draco sighed heavily and rested his elbows on his knees.

"Son of a…" he muttered tensely, shaking his head. There was a long silence. Both knew that whatever was going on was big. It wasn't just about being on the run from the Death Eaters anymore; war was really upon them. Before, it was just something that was spoken of. It didn't seem real. It wasn't tangible. But now, things were different. War was on their heels.

"You know what we have to do, don't you?" Raynea asked. Draco turned towards her and folded his lips resignedly, "We have to go back to Hogwarts…we have to fight."

"Don't you mean die?" Draco demanded harshly. He stood up from his position on the couch and walked to the window, his back to the rest of the room. Raynea closed her eyes painfully and exhaled.

"You don't know that."

"Yes, I do. I'm not a bleeding moron. It's a frigging suicide mission, Raynea. We have no idea what we're walking into," Draco shouted.

"It doesn't matter." she said evenly, "You know that we have to do this…and yes, there's a good chance we won't make it out alive, but that doesn't mean we shouldn't try."

Draco whipped back around to face her and grimaced. Raynea knew that he knew that she was right. They had to go; there was no other choice.

"It'll be okay, Draco. I think we've been through enough to handle the fight. Even if we do…er…die, at least we know that—"

All of a sudden, Draco was standing before her, his hands resting on the sides of her face. He had an anxious yet firm look in his eyes as he knelt in front of her.

"What're you doing?" she questioned.

"Panicking." He kissed her forcefully, then pulled her into a tight embrace. Raynea furrowed her brow, but wrapped her arms around him in return. He had a right to worry; things had just gotten a whole lot scarier.

"We don't have to leave right away," she said in an effort to comfort him, "You said that we had some time. We'll give it a few days."

"Yeah, like that makes me feel any better," Draco snapped. He released her roughly and headed for the door.

"Draco…"

The door slammed shut, leaving her in a bitter silence.

* * *

Raynea stood alone in the elevator, anxiously waiting to reach the lobby. She was in a bit of a mood and the slow speed of the elevator was pissing her off way more than it should have. A lot of things had been bothering her lately. Unsurprisingly, Draco was the main cause of her irritation. For the past two days, he was acting even more brutish than usual. Raynea knew that he was scared and angry about the war, and he had a right to be, but his sour attitude made the whole ordeal worse. She was feeling overwhelmed about it, too. However, she was handling it a lot better than he was.

Despite how poorly he had been treating her, Raynea wanted to do something nice for Draco. Christmas was the next day and she intended to celebrate the holiday as if everything was normal. Maybe that would help to make things better.

Once the elevator arrived at the lobby, Raynea sighed in relief and double checked to make sure that the muggle bills she had stolen from Draco's jacket pocket were still in her possession. She smiled, then treaded out onto the marble floor. Muggles were rushing all around her and it caused her to become a bit disoriented. Her confused appearance actually came in handy, for the concierge approached her.

"Are you looking for anything in particular, ma'am?" he questioned.

"Er…yeah…do you know of any…uh…clothing shops around here?"

"Oh, yes. Our own boutique is just across the way if you'd like to go there."

He gestured to something behind her and Raynea whipped around to see a glass partition that separated the main lobby from what she supposed was the 'boutique'…whatever that meant…

"Great. Thank you so much." Raynea offered the concierge a grin before heading off towards the glass divider. As soon as she went passed it, she was greeted by racks of clothing. Coats were suspended high up on the walls, while trousers were grouped together to the left. Sweaters of all different colors and fabrics were displayed on sleek, wooden tables in front of the room and dresses were stationed on the right wall. Raynea felt like a bloody moron. She had no idea how to even begin to start sorting through all the clothes; it was overwhelming to have so many choices.

Raynea hesitantly walked over to the table of sweaters and her stomach jolted as a tall, blonde woman who was dressed in an extremely ritzy outfit appeared right in her face and shot her a bright smile. She instantly stopped in her tracks and let out an alarmed shriek. Muggles were…weird…

"Hello, there!" the blonde woman said with enthusiasm.

"Hi…" Raynea returned, forcing a grin.

"I'm Greta. What's your name? Is there anything I can help you with?"

She certainly did talk fast, which only added to Raynea's confusion.

"Well, it's nice to meet you. I'm Raynea."

Greta furrowed her brow briefly when she heard Raynea's name, but shook her head and smiled once again.

"Is there anything I can help you with?" she asked again.

"Actually…er…maybe…"

"Are you looking for something in particular?"

"Yes…no…well, I don't really know what I'm looking for. I want something for the holiday…something…pretty…something that'll make me look…"

"Hot?" Greta suggested with an eyebrow raise. Raynea's face contracted uncomfortably, causing Greta to laugh softly, "Trying to impress a boy, are we?"

"No," Raynea scoffed, "Please…"

Greta shot her a disbelieving look. "Who is he? Friend? Boyfriend? Friend of a friend? Blind date?"

Raynea sighed, but couldn't suppress her smile. "He's…well…he's…" she bit her lip as she thought for a minute, "I don't know, actually…"

"Aw," Greta giggled, "well you want to make it a holiday to remember, am I right?" Raynea nodded, "Tell me what he's like, tell me what you have in mind, tell me the venue and I will find you the perfect outfit."

Raynea's head was spinning. The fast talk was confusing enough, but the rapid questioning made it slightly worse. However, she came to like Greta. She was going to help her, after all.

"First, tell me about the boy," Greta urged. Raynea looked up at the ceiling and sighed as she took a second to think.

"He's…a bit of a ponce, really. He's rude, crude, obnoxious…he never listens…he calls me names…he annoys the living hell outta me…"

There was a pause in the rant. Greta looked a little perplexed, but Raynea's expression softened and she went on.

"…but sometimes he's nice…and he's funny..." she smiled warmly, "…and let's face it, the bloke's gorgeous…and when he looks at me, I can hardly breathe…"

Raynea stared down at her hands for a moment before her eyes widened uncomfortably and she cleared her throat. When she looked back up at Greta, the blonde woman was grinning and had one eyebrow cocked. Raynea's face flushed.

"That's so sweet," Greta said finally, causing Raynea to feel less embarrassed, "Now, why don't you tell me an idea of what you're looking for. Do you want a dress…a lovely pant suit…a sweater and skirt…?"

"A casual dress maybe," Raynea replied uncertainly.

"Follow me," Greta sung. She led Raynea to the right of the boutique to the expansive wall of dresses. Tons of dresses in every fabric, color and style were laid out before her. Raynea was apprehensive about choosing one, but that wasn't really an issue. She really didn't even have a chance to make any decisions, for Greta suddenly began throwing dresses at her, urging her to try them all on and explaining why they would look good on her.

"This green would look excellent with your skin tone…ooh, and this style would do wonders for your figure. Actually, do you know what size you are, darling?"

Raynea froze. She definitely knew what size she was when it came to dresses and robes in the wizarding world, but she had no clue how muggle sizes worked.

"Er…I dunno…"

Greta dropped the hangers she was holding and dragged Raynea towards a room in the back.

"We must get you measured…you don't wanna get the wrong size now do you?"

* * *

"Put this one on!"

Raynea ducked as Greta tossed another garment over the door of the fitting room. She sighed before she hung the dress on one of the hooks that protruded from the wall. If she had to guess, Raynea would say that she had been trying on dresses for at least an hour, maybe even more. It was a lot harder than she imagined, especially with Greta insisting she try on nearly every dress in the boutique.

"_That ponce better appreciate this…_" Raynea thought bitterly as she made guesses about Draco's whereabouts. He was probably napping in _her_ bed, or worse.

That didn't matter now, though. She had to focus on finding the perfect dress. Ironically, she was trying to find the perfect dress to wear for _him_.

"How does it look?" Greta called through the door. Raynea inhaled sharply as she zipped up the dress in question and gazed at herself in the mirror. A smile graced her face before she headed out of her dressing room to get Greta's opinion. As soon as Greta saw Raynea, she beamed.

"Bloody hell! It's perfect," she squealed.

"Are you sure?"

"Would Greta lie to you?"

Raynea laughed and her smile broadened. "Very true. Thank you so much, Greta. Really, I wouldn't have been able to find this without you."

"No problem, darling." Greta said, "You look amazing and you're definitely gonna get the attention of that male friend of yours." Raynea grinned. At least she was heading in the right direction. She really wanted the holiday to be special and finding the dress gave her the hope that it could be.

After returning all the dresses to their former location, Raynea followed Greta to the register. On the trek there, she noticed another glass partition that seemed to lead to a different part of the boutique. She furrowed her brow.

"Greta? Do you sell men's clothes too?"

"Absolutely," Greta told her.

Raynea peered around the partition and bit her lip. She turned to Greta abruptly and handed her the dress.

"Could you hold this for a second? I just wanted to look at something in the men's section."

"No problem. Just come to the register when you're ready."

Raynea nodded and headed through to the men's portion of the store. She immediately disregarded the clothes and went towards the racks that held watches, wallets and other things of that sort. Though, after a moment, something else had caught her eye. Raynea turned her back to the racks and redirected her attention to an illuminated glass case that held jewelry. She scanned the contents of it for awhile before a male sales associate approached her.

"Miss, is there anything I can help you with?" He was much more mild mannered than Greta, but just as well dressed. Raynea folded her lips and gazed at something in the glass case one more time before turning towards the man.

"Yes, can I see those cufflinks please?"

A moment later, Raynea was holding an exquisite pair of cufflinks. Each one was composed of a combination of sterling silver and white gold and depicted the shape of two snakes wrapped around each other, both with their fangs exposed and small green gems for eyes. She smiled.

"Excuse me, sir…does this place gift wrap?"

* * *

Draco rolled his eyes as he stepped off the elevator and into the lobby. He hated being around muggles. They did everything the hard way; no wonder why they were always rushing around.

"Watch it, git," Draco snapped as a portly gentlemen slammed into his shoulder. The man was in too much of a hurry to even acknowledge him, which was just fine with Draco. He didn't want to exchange any more words with the muggles than he had to.

"_I can't believe I'm even doing this. What's the bloody point?_"

He considered heading back up to his room, but decided against it. There was a reason he had trekked all the way down to the lobby, and that reason was Raynea. He knew he had been acting particularly harsh lately, so he wanted to make up for it. It wasn't her fault that he was afraid of the upcoming battle.

So, Draco was prepared to give her a Christmas celebration she would never forget. After all, it was their first Christmas together…and their last Christmas ever. It should be special.

After stepping out of the way of a group of muggles, Draco approached the front desk. The concierge offered him a knowing smile.

"Good afternoon, sir. What can I do for you?"

"You wankers wouldn't happen to know where I could get some flowers, do you?" Draco said.

"Actually, we do have a floral shop," the concierge told him.

"Well, lead the way, then."

A few moments later, the concierge left Draco to wander about the florist. It was a small shop, but it had flowers, so it would do.

"What are you looking for, sir?" asked a woman clad in an apron.

"Roses…white ones…" Draco answered after a brief pause. It took him a second to recall Raynea's favorite flower, especially since she never actually told him what it was. He heard her discussing it with Hermione and Ginny back at the Burrow. Draco was surprised that he could even remember.

"I'm sorry, but we don't have white roses at the moment," the woman informed him.

"It's a bleeding flower shop…how can you not have flowers?" he demanded.

"I'm very sorry, sir. We only have red roses."

Draco rolled his eyes at first, but then he thought of something. He had a plan.

"You people are lucky I'm so bloody smart…" he trailed off in annoyance, "Give me a single red rose."

The woman nodded, becoming uneasy at Draco's rough countenance. He exhaled as she disappeared into the back to fulfill his order.

"Muggles…" he scoffed as he shook his head.

* * *

Raynea stared in the mirror anxiously as she sighed. Her dress was on, her hair was done and Greta had, had it arranged for the hotel salon to do her make-up. It was unfortunate that the hotel staff still had to work on Christmas, but Raynea was grateful that they were there. Despite this, she wasn't feeling very confident. Draco had been so moody, she questioned whether or not this Christmas celebration would be enough to raise his spirits.

She inhaled sharply and took one more look at herself. Her brown hair was still in its usual long, loose curls, but she pinned it back into a half up-half down style with her side swept bangs and short layers framing her narrow face. The make-up was simple and merely emphasized her natural beauty. The dress was the crowning jewel. The strapless, streamlined garment fit tight against her body and fell a few inches above the knee. The rich, dark green color accented nicely with her tan skin and was matched with a deep gold piece of silk fabric that lay just beneath the bust line and came around in the back to tie into a lovely bow. The dress definitely complimented her thin figure and nearly flat chest, as well as her hair and eyes. Raynea just hoped that Draco liked it.

After triple checking to make sure she looked perfect, she treaded out of the bathroom into the bedroom area. She had a few candles lit and placed on the tables and the room service cart that held their dinner set in the middle of the room. Draco's present was wrapped in a shiny silver paper with a small white bow resting on top of it. She set it on the nightstand and took a breath of relief. Everything was ready. Hopefully, Draco would be back soon. He had disappeared earlier in the day without even offering her a 'Happy Christmas.' Raynea couldn't deny her anger, but she tried to let it go. She hoped that all she had done to make the holiday perfect would put Draco in a better mood. Besides, it was sort of their last day of peace before heading off to Hogwarts. It had to be enjoyable.

After sitting on the couch for a moment, Raynea decided to go check herself in the mirror one more time. She was so nervous, which didn't really make much sense. She supposed it was a defense mechanism; she was afraid that Draco would reject her attempts to make him feel more at ease. At least if she went in with low expectations, there was no room for disappointment.

Raynea returned to the main room and found herself breathless. This was partly because she was already nervous and also because Draco was standing in the middle of the room with his hands behind his back. He looked really good. He was wearing his all black ensemble like always, but it just looked especially attractive that evening. A smirk was formed on his face initially, though when he saw Raynea he appeared to be stunned. She hoped he thought she looked as good as she thought he looked.

"Hi…" Raynea uttered after a second, chuckling nervously.

"Hello to you too," Draco returned slyly. He definitely seemed to be in a better mood, which helped to calm Raynea's nerves. He also seemed to be more than satisfied with her appearance.

"Happy Christmas," she said at long last. Draco smirked and took a few steps forward, so they were only inches apart. His hands were still tucked behind his back.

"Back at you," Draco replied. He pulled his arms to the front of his body and held up a shimmering, white rose. Raynea looked into his piercing grey eyes and shot him a confused look.

"For me?"

"No, for my mother," Draco said sarcastically, "Yes, for you, you bloody idiot."

Raynea ignored his harshness and reached to take the flower from him. He smirked again and grabbed her hand with both of his before allowing the rose to slip into her possession.

"It's enchanted," he explained, "Those bleeding muggle wankers didn't have any white roses left, so I had to improvise…do you like it?"

"Yes, of course," Raynea told him, "Really, Draco…thank you." He shrugged as she glanced down at her gift, and then looked up into his eyes once again. They simply stared at each other for a moment before Raynea's face brightened up and she treaded over to the nightstand to retrieve Draco's gift.

"Oh! Here…" she smiled as she handed him the box, "For you…"

Draco furrowed his brow as he ripped the bow and the silver paper from the tiny box. An intrigued look covered his face before he removed the lid from the box and stared upon his present.

"Does it meet your standards?" Raynea asked, only half kidding. There was a short pause before Draco began to chuckle softly.

"You know, for a Gryffindor, you're pretty good at picking out gifts for a Slytherin."

"I will take that as a thank you," she said with a grin.

"You call that a 'thank you'?" Draco asked smoothly. He edged closer and roughly pressed his lips against hers. After the kiss grew more intense, Draco placed his unwrapped gift on the bed and put either of his hands on her arms. Raynea closed her eyes and pulled away from him slowly.

"…You're welcome."

Draco smirked in satisfaction. She opened her eyes before clearing her throat loudly and walking towards the room service cart.

"So…I say it's time for a little dinner, wouldn't you agree?" Raynea questioned nervously. She didn't know exactly why she was so nervous, but she supposed it was a combination of things. All she knew for sure was that Draco was especially appealing at the moment.

"Sure," he agreed, "It wouldn't be Christmas without the feast." Raynea smiled as she lifted the covers off the food service trays.

"Let's dig in, then."

* * *

Dinner went by rather quickly, especially for Raynea. She was so nervous, she could hardly think about downing her meal, let alone actually doing it. Once Draco had finished his plate, he paced over to the window and stared outside it. Raynea merely watched him as he did this. He looked more relaxed than she had seen him in a very long time. It was nice to see him so at peace. He was beautiful. She was almost scared by how much she loved him at that particular moment. After a few minutes went by, Draco turned to see that she was staring at him and smirked.

"Are you just gonna sit on your arse and stare at me all night? Get over here, McCoy."

Raynea rolled her eyes playfully and smiled as she rose from the couch and joined Draco by the window. She placed herself in front of him, so that she had a more thorough view of the city landscape outside.

"Merlin, the snow is coming down pretty hard out there, isn't it?" Raynea spun around to get his reply, and was surprised when she found that he was right up against her, with his arms placed on the window sill on either one of her sides so she was blocked in by him. He was gazing into her eyes rather intensely with a pensive smirk on his face.

"Well, uh…hi…" she laughed. She didn't know what else to do. They merely remained in that same position for what seemed like hours before Raynea cleared her throat and avoided eye contact with him.

"I…er…I better clean up the room service trays. I—I shouldn't leave them out like that. It's—"

"Raynea…"

"Yes?"

"Stop talking."

"Okay…"

Draco moved his arms so that they were now around her waist and pulled her even closer against him. He lingered for a moment before placing his lips against hers. Raynea went along with his movements and wrapped her arms around his neck as the kiss intensified. After some time went by, Draco started backing up and Raynea followed his actions. The two never detached faces as this went on. Soon, they were right in front of the bed, and Raynea was not naïve enough to ignore this. She didn't do anything though; she just kept kissing Draco, hoping that any assumptions she had about his intentions were wrong.

The next thing she knew, the ribbon of her dress had been untied and Draco had already partially unzipped it. He stopped after a second though, so Raynea thought maybe he had changed his mind. However, his next move proved her wrong. He backed her into the edge of the bed and her knees collapsed against the mattress and caused her to plummet onto it, with him right on top of her. Raynea stayed this way for only an instant, but once she felt Draco's hands trail to the zipper of her dress again, she pushed him away from her and leapt up to her feet. Draco remained on the bed, an angry look plastered onto his pointed face.

"Bloody hell…" he growled.

"What the hell do you think you're doing?" Raynea yelled as she re-zipped her dress and tied the bow again. He shot her a dirty look.

"Well, I thought that was pretty obvious," Draco snapped.

"Are you insane? Have you completely…just…lost your bloody mind?" Raynea screamed in frustration as she gripped the sides of her head and paced to the other side of the room.

"What? So, now I'm crazy because I want to—"

"Don't finish that thought! Just, no…"

"Why are you having a ruddy panic attack?" Draco demanded as he took a few steps towards her. Raynea glared at him and backed away as he continued forward.

"Hmm, why am I having a panic attack? Good question…maybe because you're an asshole!"

"Oh, so now I'm an asshole? You know, you're gonna get deflowered some day Raynea, I'm just offering to be the one that does it," Draco returned with an amused smirk. Raynea narrowed her eyes even more. He thought he was so damn clever…

"Yeah? Well, keep dreaming, dick. That's never gonna bloody happen!"

"So, you love me but you won't sleep with me? That's rich."

"What? I can't just love you? That's not enough anymore? I have to shag you now?"

"It would be nice…"

"Screw you!" Raynea shouted, crossing her arms over her chest angrily.

"That's what I'm trying to get you to do," Draco quipped.

"You're not funny!"

"Merlin, why are you acting so odd about this?"

"Because…" Raynea trailed off, "I'm not like you. I don't bang anything with a pulse."

"You think you're just a notch on the belt for me?" Draco spat, a look of enraged hurt covering his pale face, "You really are an idiot…"

"Oh, that really put me in the mood. Take me now," Raynea said sardonically.

Draco rolled his eyes before exhaling resignedly and plopping down onto the couch. He gazed up at Raynea, appearing to have calmed down a bit.

"Raynea, sit down…"

"Are you gonna try to take off my dress again?" she shot back.

"Just sit your arse down."

Raynea sighed before complying with his request. Draco turned to look at her briefly, then directed his eyes ahead of him. He seemed very solemn all of a sudden, which surprised her.

"You're stupid if you think I want this just to say that I shagged you," he explained quietly, "It's not like that..."

"Look, Draco, I'm not saying that I've never thought about it…I just don't want to. I'm not ready…and you've been with a lot of girls…and…I'm afraid that I'll be…bad." Draco whipped his head to the side to face her, raising an eyebrow and smiling as he did so.

"Is that really what you think?" he asked, "You don't think I'm afraid? I might have experience, but I've never _been_ with a girl that I loved…or even liked, really."

They both laughed briefly before gazing at each other in a bitter-sweet silence.

"I don't actually believe that you're afraid," she told him.

"It's true, Raynea. You're not like the others…you're better," he said. There was another short silence, "You're different."

"It's kinda nice to know that you're scared too," Raynea admitted after a moment.

"Well, yeah…I think I would know better than anyone that you're not an easy girl to please," Draco chuckled. Raynea grinned softly. A silence spread over them after that that made it feel like hours had gone by. Neither one looked at the other; they merely sat on the couch, staring ahead as they both pondered the rather awkward conversation they had just had.

"So…" Draco began, his voice shattering through the silence so abruptly that Raynea was almost startled by it, "now that you know my intentions, do you want to—"

"I don't think so," she replied. She really was sorry that she and Draco weren't on the same page when it came to this, but she wasn't _that _sorry.

"Oh, come on. I bet you would've screwed Potter by now," he teased.

"No way," Raynea laughed, "Draco, I promise that when I'm ready for this, you will be the first to know." He sighed before shifting in his seat uncomfortably.

"You get a bloke all juiced up with your ruddy candles and that dress…" he trailed off and smirked, "You are such a tease, McCoy."

"Hey, the harder it is to get something, the more you appreciate it when you have it," Raynea said with a chuckle

"Believe me, I will bloody appreciate it," Draco told her, running his hands through his hair. She laughed as she scooted beside him and rested her head on his shoulder. He responded by putting his arm around her, drawing her closer to him as he did so.

"I'm still allowed to kiss you, aren't I?" he inquired bitterly. Raynea looked up at him before pressing her lips to his, hoping that that would be a sufficient answer for him.

* * *

About half an hour went by before Raynea decided that it would be best for them to get some sleep. They had a big day tomorrow, for they were set to head off to Hogwarts very early the next morning. Draco was still quite bothered by this prospect, but kept his opinions to himself. It wasn't worth another fight. He wanted to enjoy Raynea as much as could for the time being; he didn't know what moment with her would be his last.

Rather than making a big production about getting ready for bed, Raynea decided she would just sleep in her dress. It's not like she would need it again any time soon. Instead, she just took off her shoes and let down her hair before lifting the comforter off the bed and sliding into it. She was all set to drift off to sleep, then Draco caught her eye. He had removed his jacket, un-tucked his shirt and was about to plop onto the couch. Something compelled Raynea to stop him, though.

"Draco…"

"Yeah?" He turned around to face her.

"Get over here," she instructed, "The bed's much more comfortable than the couch."

He offered her a quizzical look as he slowly treaded over to the bed.

"Just…lay with me…" she said, her voice practically in a whisper, "Please…"

Draco nodded, a surprisingly soft expression covering his face now. Raynea scooted over so that he would have room beside her and sighed in relief once she felt the bed sink under his weight. She took his arm and put it around her as she laid her head on his chest and pressed herself against him. It was already dark in the room and everything was silent. It wasn't a perfect moment; things were far from perfect. Not even being in each other's company was enough to clear the ominous air that was hanging over them, though it did help. There was no escaping the fact that tomorrow was one of those days where everything would change…

"I don't want it to be tomorrow," Raynea said.

There was an extremely long silence after that, so she assumed that Draco had already fallen asleep.

"Neither do I."


	21. Chapter 21

**Author's Note: ****Thanks for all the reviews, and for not giving up one me! To some of you, this FINAL! chapter might make it seem like I'm giving up on the story, but I'm so not. I think this ends it well and cuts down on some of the battle stuff that is important to the story, but not exactly important to read. The gist of the battle is, it's basically like the book (minus Draco being a death eater obviously, lol) and it ends with Voldemort being defeated and Draco just ends up leaving with Lucius and Narcissa, which kinda ruins the whole Draco/Raynea thing (seemingly). The flashback in the beginning should give an idea of what happened between them at the very end of the battle. Anyway, this chapter is fairly light and fun and I hope you all don't mind the flashforward, I just think it's beneficial to the story and kinda makes it interesting, plus I wanted to make sure that this story got an ending cause I didn't just wanna leave it hanging there. It's better than ending with an awful war cliffhanger lol, (i hope). Hope yah like it and that no one's disappointed. Please leave a review!**

**Oh, and I suggest "Run" by Snow Patrol for the itallics in the beginning and "Yellow" by Coldplay for the bold at the end. I really hope you all like it! Thank you so much for all the support throughout both of my stories, I appreciate it so, so much! Thanks! Enjoy!(: **

_His cold grey eyes were fixed on her face—in fact, they had been glued to that target the entire time. Even as he was reunited with his parents, even as his mother smothered him in hugs and his father patted his shoulder, his eyes stayed on her. _

_She was still spread out on the ground, lifeless bodies all around her. Her breath was heavy as she took in everything that happened, and even when her friends swarmed her she kept herself on the cold floor of the castle. _

_Voices were booming all around her, crying out in victory, but to her ears there was silence. None of this commotion distracted her from staring into his eyes. He was part way down the hallway from her, but the distance seemed much larger and each moment seemed like an eternity. Then, as was expected, he disappeared from her sight. He and his parents had gone._

_Gone. It was such a short word, but it held so much meaning. She continued to just stare in that same spot, as if he were still there. But he wasn't; he was gone. And there was no certainty that she would ever see him again. _

_She felt someone hoist her off the ground and place her on her own two feet and three other bodies pulled her into a group embrace. But she gazed on ahead into the empty space, not quite sure how to act—or how to feel. Suddenly, her surroundings had faded to black and all sound was still drowned out…_

Raynea turned over onto her side and her eyelids shot open, the familiarity of her room at the Burrow greeting her tired eyes. She breathed loudly out of her mouth and swallowed. She was plagued by the same dream—well, memory, every night for the past two months. That's how long it had been now; two months since their victory at Hogwarts and the fall of the Dark Lord…two months since Draco Malfoy was ripped out of her life without warning.

It wasn't so bad now, though. She had grown accustomed to his absence. That's not to say that she liked it, but she could deal with it. Besides, there was so much to be grateful for. Their enemies were defeated, she was with her friends again and for once in their lives, every person she loved was finally at peace. More importantly, Ron and Hermione were getting married that day.

Raynea smiled at the thought, then slid her covers off of her bare legs and began to rise to her feet. This action was interrupted as a frantic Hermione burst into the room, a look of utter terror covering her face.

"Rayne! You were supposed to be awake at least half an hour ago!" she screeched. Raynea merely chuckled. This was exactly how she expected Hermione to act on her wedding day.

"We have time, Hermione," she reminded her friend, "Your wedding's not till five…remember?"

Hermione simply inhaled sharply before bursting into tears, prompting Raynea to jump from the bed and go over to comfort her friend.

"What's wrong?"

"I can't do this, Raynea. There's too much pressure and…we're too young and—"

"And you love him," Raynea said with a small smile.

"Well…yes," Hermione admitted, "but—"

"Then you have nothing to worry about." Hermione exhaled and nodded as her tears ceased.

"Thank you."

"Of course," Raynea beamed, "Now go to your room and wait for me and Ginny to get there to do your hair and make-up. You're the bride, so leave everything to us."

"Okay, thanks Raynea. I'll see you in a bit," Hermione grinned before exiting the room, seeming to be at least a little calmer.

Raynea breathed out before heading through the doorway. Today certainly would be a busy day, that was for sure.

Ginny and Raynea had spent a good part of the late morning and early afternoon making Hermione look perfect for the ceremony. They had her hair styled into a twist with a small sprig of flowers pinned to it while her make-up was fairly simple and just played up Hermione's natural beauty. Once that was finished, the two girls left her to get dressed and had to rush to get themselves ready for the wedding. They had been given the honor of being Hermione's bridesmaids, which seemed funny seeing as the three of them had been Fleur's bridesmaids only about half a year earlier. Time really had flown.

"Hermione looks gorgeous," Ginny said with a smile as she and Raynea headed out into the hallway.

"I agree," Raynea told her, "We do good work."

"Of course we do," Ginny laughed, feigning haughtiness, "I'm really looking forward to tonight. It'll be so much better than Fleur and Bill's wedding."

"Yeah, because you'll have Harry as your date this time," Raynea teased.

"Oh, please," Ginny said as she blushed, "Bloke's lucky I decided to take him back."

"Yes he is," Raynea giggled, "You should tell him that."

"I do," Ginny chuckled, "…every day."

"Good girl."

The two approached Ginny's room and parted from there so that they would each have time to get ready. Raynea was glad that they had lucked out again when it came to bridesmaids' dresses. Hermione had chosen lovely, figure-flattering, spaghetti strap lilac dresses. They had a slight sheen to them that added some extra appeal and, of course, Raynea would be adding her own personal touches to make the ensemble more complete.

About an hour later, she was ready. Her usual long, loosely curled, brown hair was transformed to have springier curls and was pulled into a low, side pony tail that rested on her neck and flowed down almost to her belly button. She chose to put a white lily where the pony tail began, and it was positioned to be right behind her ear. Before she headed out to check on the boys, she gave herself the once over.

"Not bad," she said aloud, just to reassure herself. After another moment, she traveled up to Ron's room, wondering if he was as nervous as Hermione had been.

"Hey blokes," Raynea called out as she knocked on the door and peered inside the room.

Inside, Harry was sitting down on Ron's bed, dressed and ready to go. Meanwhile, Bill and Charlie seemed to be having some sort of argument in the corner of the room and George was trying desperately to help Ron with his bow-tie.

"You have to pull it through the loop," the groom-to-be said in annoyance as George continued to struggle with the article of clothing.

"Shut your trap," George teased, "I'm trying to help you, here."

"Well, bloody hell! You've got it so tight, you're gonna pop my head off!" Ron bellowed, shying away from his brother and treading over to the mirror. Harry and Raynea merely exchanged amused looks.

"Let me do it, you idiots," Raynea laughed as she crossed over to the mirror and began to fumble with Ron's tie. After about ten seconds, she had it tied perfectly, much to the boys' amazement.

"How'd you do that so fast?" Ron inquired in awe.

"I'm a girl, I have to know these things," Raynea chuckled.

"Alright, well, it looks like all the men are ready to go now," George announced proudly. Then, everyone's attention was directed to Bill and Charlie, who still seemed to be in the middle of a heated feud.

"Get your arses ready! Our boy Ron's about to get married here," George shouted at his two older brothers. Bill and Charlie immediately stopped arguing and cleared their throats awkwardly.

"Er…yeah, we're ready," Charlie said, trying to make light of the ominous air in the room.

"What were you two going on about?" Harry asked curiously.

"Well, uh—"

Bill interrupted Charlie and took a step forward, a bright smile on his face and one hand behind his back.

"You see, Ron, I was all set to give you my wedding gift, but Charlie here was going on about what a bad idea it'd be," Bill explained.

"That's because it _is _a bad idea," Charlie added on, "Don't listen to him Ron. Our brother is an ass."

"I also happened to be the only 'ass' here that's married, so let's listen to my advice, shall we?" Bill pointed out triumphantly. He held out his hand, which contained a rather enormous bottle of Firewhiskey. "Here's a little liquid courage for the ceremony. I wish you a long and happy life with your girl, Hermione."

"See? Like I said…he's an ass," Charlie grumbled. Ron seemed to disagree with Charlie, for a look of consideration covered his face as he reached for the bottle.

"Are you mad?" Raynea demanded as she ripped the bottle from Bill's hand before he had a chance to give it to Ron, "I am not letting you walk down that aisle like a drunken idiot!"

"Well, I might need it," Ron returned nervously, "What if I trip? What if something goes wrong in the ceremony? What if Hermione doesn't show up?"

"She'll be there, Ron. Trust me," Raynea assured him, "You don't need Bill's 'gift' to get yourself down the aisle. Everything will be fine."

"She's right, mate," Harry said, "It's gonna be great."

"Merlin, it's nice to have some other voices of reason," Charlie exclaimed, "Now, if you all will excuse me, I will be downstairs waiting for the rest of the guests to arrive."

With that, Charlie exited the room and was followed by George, who was quite amused be the situation that had just arisen.

"You'll wish you'd listened to me," Bill said, shaking his head, "See you out there, little brother." He clapped Ron on the shoulder before running out after his other brothers.

"Forget everything that he just said, Ron," Raynea said to her friend, "Bill's just…"

"An ass?" Ron suggested, using the term that Charlie has used to describe him previously.

"Well…yeah, basically."

"Right," Ron nodded.

After a moment, Harry rose from Ron's bed and headed towards the door.

"I'm gonna go down and get lined up with Ginny," he told them, "And don't worry, Ron, everything is gonna be great." He offered each of them a bright smile before disappearing down the stairs. Ron started breathing more heavily once he and Raynea were alone in the room. She wasn't surprised that he was starting to panic.

"Harry's right; everything will be perfect. I promise," Raynea smiled before pulling her best friend into a tight embrace.

"Thanks Raynea, you're a good friend."

"I know," she joked. They both giggled briefly before another moment of seriousness passed over them.

"You're getting married," Raynea said, as if the idea were completely surreal.

"Yeah," Ron grinned nostalgically, "It feels like we were just eleven, you know? Like we all just met, and now…"

"Yeah…" Raynea nodded. There was a short pause, "Well, we better get down there."

Ron inhaled and headed towards the door with Raynea right behind him.

The ceremony couldn't have gone by more smoothly. Everything was perfect, it was a beautiful day and Hermione looked radiant as she walked down the aisle in her exquisite, white dress. Everyone was ready to party when it came time for the reception. There was dancing, laughter and happiness everywhere. Couples in love would take the floor during slow songs, and everybody would join in when there were more up-tempo numbers. Raynea had the pleasure of dancing with all of her friends, and during slow songs she'd pick a different partner every time. First, she got to dance with Harry, then George and during the latest fast song, she broke off from the group and demanded that Percy Weasley dance with her.

"I do believe that this song is just a little too fast for my taste," Percy sputtered off as Raynea grabbed his hand and dragged him into the crowd.

"Come on, Percy. You need to loosen up," she told him with a chuckle.

"I'm quite loose enough, thank you," he shot back.

"Please? I won't take 'no' for an answer."

"Raynea…"

"Please? You only live once, Percy Weasley!"

"Well…alright, just this once."

Raynea burst into several fits of laughter as she fast danced with Percy, surprised that such and uptight guy could be such a successful dancer. She was glad she had convinced him to go onto the floor. She was determined to make sure that everyone had fun that night. It was destined to be a night to remember.

After another hour went by, Raynea had had her fill of dancing for awhile. Plus, the last five songs had been slow, and there seemed to be no end in sight of them. In the meantime, she plopped down at one of the tables that was set up and decided to indulge in some water. It was quite hot out; it was late in the spring, after all.

More time passed and, unfortunately, Raynea felt herself starting to get depressed. Couples in love were dancing all around her and she couldn't help but envy them. It was times like these that things really began to get to her, though she tried very hard to stop these feelings. It was just awkward for her, the fact that all of her best friends seemed to be paired off, and she was the only one that was still alone. She hoped that they didn't notice. Suddenly, Raynea's negative thoughts were interrupted as Ron crashed into the seat beside her.

"Hey, you," she said with a grin, "Shouldn't you be with your wife?"

"She's dancing with her dad," Ron told her, "Besides, I'm beat. I feel like I've been on my feet for hours."

"Ron, you have been on your feet for hours," Raynea chuckled.

"See?" he said, "Bloody hell…"

There was a short pause.

"So, are you happy?" Raynea asked as she smiled.

"So, _so _happy," Ron replied.

"Good, kid," she said, "You deserve it."

"Thanks, Rayne."

Another short silence passed over, and Raynea was a bit taken aback by what Ron said next.

"I know it's been hard for you, since you haven't heard from Draco or anything," he began, "but you're not alone Rayne, you've still got your friends."

"Yes I do," she agreed, "Thanks, Ron…now, go back to your wife! Forget this pity party, you've got some celebrating to do."

Ron nodded and offered her a bright smile before heading back out onto the dance floor. Raynea's grin faded slightly as he disappeared into the crowd. She decided that maybe she needed a little reprieve from all this intense partying. After another moment, Raynea rose to her feet and treaded out from the backyard around to the front of the Burrow. There was more of a breeze there, and it was definitely _much _quieter. The scene around her was quite serene. The wind was blowing, but everything seemed calm for some reason. **The sun had just set, but she could still see all around her, for the lights coming from the backyard were rather bright. Things had been great, and the night was beautiful, but Raynea still felt emptiness inside her and she questioned whether or not it could ever be filled. She gave herself a moment to ponder this before shaking her head to expel the thoughts from her mind. She exhaled heavily and prepared to return to the backyard.**

**"Am I late?" asked a quiet voice from behind her. Raynea's eyes widened and excitement rushed through her. She thought maybe she was dreaming, but the hope inside of her told her that she wasn't. After another second, she slowly turned around.**

**Draco Malfoy was standing before her, his hands in the pockets of his classic, black suit and a small smile—not a smirk—plastered across his pale, pointed face. Raynea couldn't speak for a moment; she was in complete and utter shock. But somehow, she was able to force herself to form coherent sentences.**

**"What're you doing here?"**

**"I was invited, what'd you think?" he answered, "Potter sent me an invitation a week or so ago, said that I was welcome to come."**

**"Oh…er…I wasn't expecting to see you…"**

**"Well, here I am," Draco said, only a hint of haughtiness in his voice.**

**Raynea shook her head, so surprised by the situation before her that she didn't even know what to say—or think, for that matter.**

**"So, you never answered my question…" he pointed out.**

**"…huh?"**

**"Am I late?" He smiled, slightly cocky.**

**"…doesn't matter…"**

**There was a period of time where the two just stared at one another, the breeze blowing and soft music ringing in the background. This moment seemed surreal to Raynea, even more so than the idea of Ron and Hermione being married.**

**"Why did you come here?" she questioned with honest curiosity.**

**"Oh you know, music, free food, possibility of sneaking boos…" Draco trailed off with a shrug. Raynea cocked an eyebrow and smiled.**

**"…and, you're here. That was a big part of it, too," he added on. Raynea's expression became more solemn as he said this. She looked down at the ground for a moment before returning her gaze to his face.**

**"I know that the way I left was…" he trailed off again, "Well, anyway, it doesn't matter now."**

**"I guess," Raynea agreed breathlessly.**

**"What the hell does that mean?" Draco demanded.**

**"It means…I dunno…"**

**"Well…has it changed…for you?"**

**"What?"**

**"Has…er…"**

**"What?"**

**"Just give me a bloody moment to collect my thoughts here," Draco said nervously as he squeezed his eyes shut and paced the area in agitation.**

**"Correct me if I'm wrong, but am I seeing Draco Malfoy acting…nervous?" Raynea teased.**

**"Very funny, Raynea," Draco shot back, "You know, I was actually trying to be serious, here."**

**"Were you?"**

**"I was. I had…something to tell you."**

**"Spit it out, then."**

**"It's not so easy, McCoy. I'm not the most articulate guy in the world, you know," Draco snapped.**

**"Just say it."**

**"Let me think for a moment…"**

**"Draco…"**

**"Just shut up for a second!"**

**"Just say it!"**

**"…I love you," Draco yelled, "There, ya happy?"**

**Raynea's expression softened as her breath hitched in her throat. She had wanted to hear those words from him for so long, but for some reason she was hesitating now.**

**"You left…"**

**"…I know, but I didn't want to. I just needed to make things right with my parents."**

**"I know that. It's just…"**

**"What?"**

**"It's been hard…with you gone…"**

**"Yeah," he said quietly, "for me, too."**  
**A short silence passed over them, and the wind continued to blow.**

**"How do I know that I can trust you to stick around?" Raynea asked.**

**"You just gotta grit your teeth and do it, Raynea, because I'm not going anywhere. Not again."**

**"I do too, by the way."**

**"What?" he questioned.**

**"I love you," she verified.**

**"Oh…well, I'm glad we have that cleared up."**

**It was so odd for Raynea to see him get so calm; she liked it, though.**

**"I dunno, Draco. I don't know when you're just gonna pick up and leave me again. This isn't the first time that it's happened."**

**Draco sighed heavily before reaching into his coat pocket and holding up a ring. Raynea felt her stomach drop and her respiratory completely shut down as she stared upon the silver band with a medium sized diamond on top. She hoped she hadn't just completely lost her mind. She couldn't take it if she was imagining all this.**

**"Maybe this will put your bloody mind at ease," he said with a nervous smirk. She continued to merely stare at the ring as tears flooded her eyes, but none of them fell.**

**"So, what'd ya say, McCoy?"**

**"…your parents hate me…"**

**"And?"**

**"You're an ass…like, all the time…"**

**"You've known that about me for years," he reminded her.**

**"If you leave me again…"**

**"Not gonna happen, Raynea."**

**"But…"**

**"Didn't you do this when we decided to start dating, too?" Draco asked in annoyance.**

**"Yes…"**

**"See? I knew it, why do you always do this? You're so ruddy—"**

**"No, I'm saying…_yes_."**

**"Yes?" Draco repeated in shock as an honest smile formed on his face.**

**"Yes," Raynea laughed before she beamed.**

**"You do know that if you marry me, you'll have to shag me, right?"**

**"Yes!" Raynea giggled.**

**"I always knew I'd get you, McCoy," Draco grinned.**

**"Just shut up and kiss me, Malfoy," Raynea said as she wrapped her arms around his neck.**

**He smirked.**

Author's Note: Draco might have been a little different in this part, but I was trying to make it semi more romantic ish, but still have him be himself. I hope it worked, lol. Please review! Thanks a ton(:


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